This film is part of Free
Return to the Edge of the World
Michael Powell makes a moving return trip to the remote island of Foula, forty years after he shot his first major feature there.
Overview
In 1936, Michael Powell took a small cast and crew to Foula in the Shetland Isles to make The Edge of the World, a recreation of the evacuation of another Scottish island, St Kilda. In 1978, Powell went back to Foula accompanied by one of the film's stars, John Laurie, by then a household name through his role in television sitcom Dad's Army. They found very little had changed and were reunited with the islanders who had taken roles in the film.
This featurette, which opens on the lot of Pinewood Studios, was made to be screened with The Edge of the World and gives a fascinating insight into the film's origins and production. As Laurie says, their pilgrimage to the bleak, beautiful, rocky isle wasn't just another shoot but "an experience that changed all our lives".
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