Gairloch High School pupil nets 'best doc' prize at Gaelic film awards FilmG
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A Wester Ross pupil is among the winners announced in this year's prestigious FilmG Gaelic film awards.
Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch secured the prize for Best Documentary in the 12-17 age group for his film, ‘Thar Nan Sgòth - Beinn Eighe’ (Above the Clouds – Beinn Eighe).
Winners were announced on a special BBC ALBA awards ceremony show which aired on Friday night. A total of 17 prizes were awarded.
Films followed this year’s competition theme Lorg, which means to search, find or trace, and with over 90 filmmakers attempting to find the winning formula, Anndra's film was up against candidates from across the whole of Scotland.
Fourth-year Gairloch High School pupil Anndra based his documentary on a day on Beinn Eighe set in the nearby Flowerdale woods and other places in Gairloch. The film was also nominated for ‘Best Young Film Maker’.
Described as a "film about hillwalking and scrambling as a way to get a new perspective on the world from beyond the cold, dark glens and high above the clouds", Thar Nan Sgòth - Beinn Eighe was inspired by the "beautiful environment" and surroundings around Gairloch where Anndra lives.
The young filmmaker said: "I really enjoyed making this film, the experience was amazing and the camera work intrigued me. It's great having such a beautiful environment around me.
"The school encourages students to participate in outdoor activities (for example; the Duke of Edinburgh award and Spors Gaidhlig) and this inspired me to create one out on a mountain. I learned many skills from making school films for FilmG and that also encouraged me to try one by myself.
"Having won the award, it really gives me confidence in my ability and encourages me to try again next year and improve the skill. With the money that I was awarded, I hope to buy a camera with which I can improve the quality of my future films and projects."
Head teacher at Gairloch High School, Wim Chalmet, said: "This morning (Monday February 28), we showed his documentary to pupils on the big screen at our assembly. It is a very inspirational video from Anndra.
"We would like to congratulate Anndra with this well-deserved award and I would recommend anyone to have a look at the video as it displays the wonderful part of the world we live in. He is a true credit to himself, his family, Gairloch High School and the community.
"Film G has allowed him and other pupils to develop their creativity skills and explore how Gaelic can be used in environments outside of school. It is great to see the importance of expanding the use of the Gaelic language in school and in the wider community.
"A massive thanks to our dedicated and passionate Gaelic teaching staff and Film G for supporting these opportunities."
