Short film by Seth Hardwick – Carry Me Home: A Ferry Tale – from the National Theatre of Scotland will premiere online on October 20

A Ferry Tale, a new short film by Seth Hardwick, will be streamed on the National Theatre of Scotland website and social platforms from Wednesday, October 20.

The film, Carry Me Home – A Ferry Tale, is a new short digital artwork celebrating the waters surrounding Scotland’s western isles and the voyages over them made by thousands of locals, workers and visitors each year.

Taking inspiration from the unique and timeless world of ferries and filmed in the West of Scotland on a CalMac ferry, the film follows a very special return journey home to the islands, reflecting the warm, welcoming heart of Scotland’s coastal communities.

Directed and scripted by Seth Hardwick and also scripted by Viv Gee, the film’s cast members are MJ Deans, Bruce Fummey, John Kazek and David Rankine with music from Scottish folk singer Josie Duncan.

The film is inspired by the National Theatre of Scotland’s Ferry Tales project in 2020, the performance of which was sadly not able to go ahead due to Covid 19.

The film takes its inspiration from the unique and timeless world of ferries.

It follows a return journey home to the islands, reflecting the warm, welcoming heart of Scotland’s coastal communities.

Filmed on a Cal Mac ferry in the West of Scotland, Carry Me Home – A Ferry Tale features the music of Scottish folk singer Josie Duncan. Carry Me Home – A Ferry Tale ebbs and flows through a journey of loss, understanding and acceptance.

In the film, having found what she was looking for, Mairi takes the last ferry home and a community

folds its arms around her.

Josie Duncan’s song Carry Me Home was commissioned by National Theatre of Scotland for the original on-board theatre production in 2020 and featured in a lockdown musical recording from BBC Alba last year.

Seth Hardwick is video producer for the National Theatre of Scotland having made over 600 trailers, promotional films, and behind the scenes videos. He was director of photography for the recent critically-acclaimed film Distance Remaining (Helen Milne Productions).

He has created video design and content for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Good Chance Theatre, 7:84 Theatre Company, Hackney Empire, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, and Action for Children.

Viv Gee is an award-winning stand-up comedian, a performance poet, actor and writer. She has performed worldwide and was co-writer for the BBC Radio Scotland sitcom The Gates.

Viv also created the popular stand-up comedy course for the University of Strathclyde and has been teaching comedy and poetry skills for over 20 years.

Josie Duncan is a folk singer and songwriter from the Isle of Lewis. Having been immersed in Glasgow’s fast-moving traditional music scene for the past few years where she studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Josie sings in Gaelic, Scots or English.

In 2017, Josie was awarded BBC Radio 2’s Young Folk Award alongside guitarist Pablo Lafuente. Following the release of the duo’s debut album The Morning Tempest, the pair have toured extensively across the UK and beyond.

The film is celebrating Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21, with the support of Caledonian MacBrayne and their ferries.

The film premieres online on October 20 and is free to view on the National Theatre of Scotland website: nationaltheatrescotland.com