The Birdwatcher
“The most important quality in a birdwatcher is a willingness to stand quietly and see what comes. Our everyday lives obscure a truth about existence - that at the heart of everything there lies a stillness and a light.”
Lynn Thomson - Birding with Yeats: A Mother's Memoir
T H E B I R D W A T C H E R
(Short Film, 2022)
Director: Ryan Mackfall. Producer: Kingsley Marshall. Writer: Lachlan Marks
Project Summary
Two investigators approach a birdwatching hut deep in the forest following the reported disappearance of a grieving man. As they piece together this man’s final moments, the evidence they gather becomes increasingly unnerving and hard to explain. Sea birds flock to the hut far inland, scrimshaw and whaling paraphernalia sit next to ancient Celtic artefacts on the shelves. Situated in Cornwall and drawing upon the county’s natural environment, seafaring tradition, Celtic history, and Cornish language – The Birdwatcher takes its themes from a time when the world seemed much larger, mysterious, and frightening, drawing parallels with the fears and xenophobia of the contemporary moment.
Cast: Mary Woodvine (Bait, Enys Men), Craig Russell (Queen Cleopatra, The 95th), Rimca Karmakar, Kevin Horsham (The Northman),
