Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is set to screen numerous premieres across Scottish venues – including Aberdeen’s Belmont Filmhouse and Eden Court in Inverness.
On Thursday August 19, film fans in Aberdeen and Inverness will have the unique opportunity to attend the world premiere of Prince of Muck.
Set on the tiny inhabited island of Muck, Cindy Jansen’s cinematic and haunting documentary explores how difficult it is to change the habits of a lifetime. The Dutch filmmaker has captured a unique cinematic portrait of a place and a person haunted by the past and struggling to maintain their relevance for the future.
The film focuses on Lawrence MacEwen who just turned 80 and has farmed the Isle of Muck since the late 1960s. With his family, he has created a rural retreat, which may be considered out of time with the rapid transformations of the world around it.
Prince of Muck explores fragile balance between tradition and modernity
Revered for his eco-conscious stewardship in the 1970s, Lawrence now finds himself stubbornly battling to preserve his vision of the island for the next generation.
Cindy said: “I first went to the Isle of Muck with open curiosity, but quickly became fascinated by the complex nature of the way in which everyone on the island is interdependent.
“It made me think deeply about my own society, here in Holland, but I knew that in Muck, I had the opportunity to study the fragile balance between tradition and modernity in an entire ‘micro society’.”
Edinburgh International Film Festival to screen three films across Scottish venues
Prince of Muck is one of three films which will screen simultaneously at locations across Scotland as part of EIFF’s vision to play an active role in bringing cinema audiences back together across the country.
Partnering with independent cinemas and working in partnership with Film Hub Scotland, INDY Cinema Group and Regional Screen Scotland, the films secured as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival will be shown in local cinemas including the European premiere of Pig starring Nicolas Cage, and the UK premiere of Here Today, directed and starring Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish.
The screenings are supported by the Scottish Government’s Festival’s EXPO Fund.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Edinburgh International Film Festival excels in showcasing Scotland, and this year is no exception.
“The world premiere of Scottish-made documentary Prince of Muck will bring audiences back together to see our nation through different eyes, celebrating its landscapes, its people and the importance of community.”
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