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  • News of the Dead (2021)
  • Short | 12 min | Short
News of the Dead (2021)
Short | 12 min | Short
This short documentary/drama follows award winning author James Robertson, as he explores the writing of his new novel News of the Dead, which is set in the fictional Glen Conach, Scotland. The book, which is published by Penguin, was ...See moreThis short documentary/drama follows award winning author James Robertson, as he explores the writing of his new novel News of the Dead, which is set in the fictional Glen Conach, Scotland. The book, which is published by Penguin, was written over five years and was partly shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic. The novel features characters set hundreds of years apart, but they are all linked by the same place: an ancient hermit, a nineteenth century charlatan and, in the present day, the Glen's eldest resident whose young schoolboy friend thinks he's seen a ghost. In the film, Director Anthony Baxter follows Robertson from his home in Newtyle, Scotland, deep into the rolling hills of a real glen - Glen Esk - in search of an ancient cross stone captured on an old postcard, once given to the novelist by a neighbor. The stone is said to have been carved by a pupil of the real-life seventh century Glen Esk hermit, Saint Drostan. While in the glen, Robertson reflects on how his own fiction is echoed by the reality of those hills today and what it is to live in a 'remote' place. Intercut with the documentary, are short dramatic scenes filmed in black and white, that give the viewer a glimpse of the three interlinked stories of Robertson's book. In particular, the scenes feature a young 'ghost girl' who appears in the grand old house that has stood in the glen for centuries. Written by Anthony Baxter See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
Anthony Baxter
Producer
Anthony Baxter (producer)
Composer
Aidan O'Rourke
Cinematographers
Anthony Baxter | Garry Torrance
Editor
Anthony Baxter
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Aug 16, 2021
Release date
Aug 16, 2021 (United Kingdom)

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4 cast members
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