麻豆约拍

Screen Machine, a huge mobile cinema, travelled to the Hebrides to preview 麻豆约拍 Scotland's听new natural history series听'Hebrides: Islands on the Edge'. Executive producer听Neil McDonald was on hand to witness the event.

A ferocious south westerly was whipping across the as the Calmac ferry eased its way into the narrow inlet at Tarbert on the Hebridean Isle of Harris. As it unloaded its usual mixture of locals and tourists it also disgorged unusual cargo 鈥� a 34 ton mobile cinema, the - a pop up marvel which continually circles the remotest fringes of Scotland.

First on the bill last week was the opening episode of a new landmark natural history series from 麻豆约拍 Scotland- which has been narrated by Ewan McGregor.

There could not be a more fitting place to screen the film than Harris. The stark beauty of the island is extraordinary. Its mountains in . Tarbert perches precariously on the rocky east coast. Two hundred years ago the inhabitants were forcibly cleared from the more fertile west coast to scratch out a living amongst the boulders and peat in the east.听It鈥檚 an island where the past hangs heavy.

The Screen Machine though is a modern technological marvel. Owned and operated by , it is fully digital, its sides unfolding to reveal, Tardis like, a roomy and comfortable 80 seat cinema that would not feel out of place in the coolest urban setting.

I was there as the executive producer for the 麻豆约拍 of Hebrides: Islands on the Edge. It鈥檚 the centrepiece of a forthcoming on 麻豆约拍 Scotland which features other gems like , narrated by Sir David Attenborough, a four part series looking at the world class wildlife cameramen who have made Scotland their home and Midsummer Live, a听90 minute live show from the Callanish standing stones on the Isle of Lewis, which will investigate and celebrate the impact of the long nights on the natural and human worlds.

There are few places more magical than the Hebrides in midsummer but Islands on the Edge, produced by in association with Otter Films, tracks wildlife through all the seasons.听The series which was filmed over two years could not have been made without the support of many people in the islands so it seemed only proper that they should be given an advance preview.

We wanted the islanders to be able to watch the programmes in all their HD glory but with few cinemas on the islands the Screen Machine was called into action.

Beginning on the Isle of Barra at the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides the cinema made its way north, through some of the most sensational landscapes in the world,听stopping on 6 different islands to screen Hebrides: Islands on the Edge.

In Harris, the audience ranged in age from 8 to 80.听This was a film about their home, a place they loved. Their reaction was universal 鈥� they had never seen the islands photographed in such a spectacular way.听Cameraman and producer and executive producer had delivered a passionate and lyrical account of what it鈥檚 really like for both wildlife and people to live on the edge.听John had filmed for 240 days through storm and drought to capture the most extraordinary wildlife behaviour. The people of Harris saw their island through different eyes.

Ewan McGregor did us the great favour of to his 300,000 followers that Hebrides: Islands On The Edge was 鈥渙ne of the most beautiful films鈥� he had seen.听The people of Harris agreed.听I hope you do too.

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Neil McDonald is Creative Director, Documentaries, 麻豆约拍 Scotland.

Hebrides: Islands on the Edge will be broadcast on 麻豆约拍听One Scotland on Monday听6 May at 9pm.