Coming Home to Story

Hedda and I have just spent six glorious days in Shetland for the 10^th Annual Screenplay Film Festival. Hedda spent an hour or two filming blogs and interviews on most days, but otherwise the time was our own to explore the island and to enjoy the cinematic riches of the festival.

Favourite films were Love is All (2014) directed by Kim Longinotto with music by Richard Hawley, who gave a brilliant concert afterwards; a famous old black and white silent documentary about Herring Fishing, Drifters (1929) directed by John Grierson with an astonishing live soundtrack from beat box virtuoso Jason Singh; and an extremely funny, laugh-out-loud, must-see comedy from New Zealand, Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) directed by Taika Waititi.

On Monday evening we entered the Screenplay Film Quiz (coming a creditable 8th out of 25 teams since you ask). The quiz included a round of famous film quotations spoken in Shetland dialect. Can you guess which films were the sources of these three cracking quotes?

Luke. I am de faider!

A’ll hae whit shu’s haein

Yippee Ki-Yay Muckle Flugga

The last one is a particularly clever pun as Muckle Flugga is the name of a rocky island off Unst, which is said to be the northernmost location in the British Isles. I’ve been laughing at this joke all week, but then I’m a simple soul.

As well as laughing at suggestive place names, Hedda and I watched seals and sea otters; walked on pristine beaches; photographed spectacular cliffs; visited an architect turned silversmith; had many cups of tea and cake; found a couple of good selkie tales; and bought locally made jumpers at half the price we would have paid in London.

We both missed the comforting presence of Captain Midnight but we still had a lot of fun hanging out and getting to know each other better. Tonight, I’m back on my own in Folly Cottage and counting the days until we’ll be together again. Meeting Hedda has been an extraordinary and unexpected delight: she brings love, beauty, and joy into my life.

Answers:

Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back
Fake orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally
John McClane in Die Hard