Nominated for a Genie Award, Canada's equivalent of an Oscar, and winner of numerous other awards, 'Faire Chaluim Mhic Leòid' ('The Wake of Calum MacLeod') is a historic and much-beloved short film. Viewed by thousands of people on Bravo!, MG Alba (Scotland), and CBC's 'Short Film Face-Off', where it won second place and was granted a four out of four stars review, 'Faire Chaluim Mhic Leòid' has been hailed by The Globe and Mail as "a short film but a big deal... a beautifully made, intense version of a short but tall tale."
North America's first Gaelic-language short film is a whirlwind of a tale!
Calum MacLeod is a storyteller without an audience, for his children moved from Cape Breton long ago. One lonely night Calum confronts the Baron of the Wind in a storm and demands his children be returned. The old man promptly falls dead. From distant points the MacLeods assemble to attend Calum’s wake. But the deceased Calum has a surprise ending in store for them yet.
Shot in the highlands of Cape Breton and featuring Gaelic storyteller Angus MacLeod and music by internationally renowned signer Mary Jane Lamond, 'Faire Chaluim Mhic Leòid' is not only "a beautifully crafted film" (Inverness Oran), "a heart-tugger" (Halifax Daily News) and "a gem" (Winnipeg Uptown Magazine), it is a historic venture into one of the world's most renowned oral storytelling cultures.
'S e sgeul luath-ghluasadach a th' anns a' cheud fhiolm ghoirid Ghàidhlig a chaidh a deanamh ann an Aimeirige a Tuath!
'S e seanchaidh gun luchd-éisdeachd a th' ann an Calum Mac Leòid, o 'n a dh' fhàg a chuid chloinne Ceap Breatainn bho chionn fhada. Air oidhche chianail, seasaidh Calum mu choinneamh Baran na Gaoithe gus àithn' a chuir air, a chuid chloinne bhi 'gan tilleadh thuige. Tuitidh am bodach marbh 's a' mhionaid. Bho àiteachan céin thig na Leòdach gus faire an athrach a fhritheil. Ach tha rudeigin fo shùil Chaluim fhathast...
Air a togail anns na garbh-chrìochan miorbhuileach Cheap Breatainn, le Aonghas MacLeòid mar Chalum, agus ceòl le ban-sheinneadair a tha clùiteach gu h-eadar-naiseanta, Màiri Sìne Nic Laomainn, tha "Faire Chaluim Mhic Leòid" 'na feuchainn eachdraidheal ann an sgeulachd an seann nòs nan Gàidheil, fear dhe na traidiseanan a's ainmeil 'san t-saoghal.