A British filmmaker is celebrating after her award-winning short film has been officially selected for three prestigious film festivals in Scotland and France.
Lisa Marley’s Red Sky on the Black Isle, a documentary about the plight of birds of prey in the Highlands of Scotland, will be screened at the Aberdeen Film Festival, Hebrides International Film Festival and Festival de Ménigoute later this year.
The documentary reveals that, in 2014, 22 birds of prey were found dead on the Black Isle: the biggest wildlife crime in the United Kingdom to date. The red kite, recently reintroduced to the area after being persecuted by humans in the past, once again found itself the victim and was at the centre of an incident that rocked the entire community.
Lisa, originally from Aberdeen and now based in Bristol, believes that the issues surrounding the case were underreported by the media and deserved further attention.
She says, “Centuries ago, red kites were persecuted almost to the point of extinction in this country. Their reintroduction to the Black Isle was incredibly important to the local community, so I couldn’t believe that such a tragic loss hadn’t been more widely reported.
“The story is so compelling and full of intrigue that it really appealed to me as both a wildlife lover and a filmmaker. Even now, two years on, the police are no further forward in determining who is behind this crime, and the case remains open.
“Having grown up in Scotland, I have always felt a strong connection to its wildlife and environment. I hope that, by sharing the story of the red kites on the Black Isle, others will be inspired to act to protect our native flora and fauna.”
The short film, which was awarded the Little Audience Prize at the Raptor Filmz Festival in Edinburgh this February, has been shown at festivals and wildlife conferences across Europe, including XPO North in Inverness, Cineme Shorts in Bristol and the Red Kite Symposium in Binaced, Spain.
Lisa adds, “The response to Red Sky on the Black Isle has been fantastic so far, and I’m really excited to be able to share it with a wider audience. It’s a great feeling to be able to share the film around Scotland, and it’s incredible that there is such an interest across Europe too.”
Red Sky on the Black Isle will be shown on Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra as part of the Hebrides International Film Festival, from 14th-17th September. It will then be screened at the Aberdeen Film Festival on 17th October, and at the Festival de Ménigoute in Deux-Sèvres, France later in October.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/redskyontheblackisle
To watch Red Sky on the Black Isle online, visit www.vimeo.com/141046011 and to see the trailer visit https://vimeo.com/140536338
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