The Wicker Man
What better date than the pagan May Day of Beltane to explore the history of the folk horror masterpiece The Wicker Man by Robin Hardy? We are happy to present the Canadian premiere of the Children of the Wicker Man documentary, in which the filmmaker’s two sons recount the incredible story behind this cult film and its impact on their own lives. The documentary will be preceded by the launch of their book of the same title, and followed by a screening of the newly restored version of The Wicker Man.
Final Cut Version
Sergeant Neil Howie is assigned to investigate the disappearance of Rowan Morrison, a young girl, on the remote Scottish island of Summerisle. A devout Christian, Howie is quickly shocked by the freewheeling behavior of the inhabitants, who practice Celtic paganism. As he confronts the conspiratorial silence of the islanders and their enigmatic lord, Lord Summerisle, Howie begins to suspect the worst. Perhaps Rowan has been murdered?
Robin Hardy
Robin Hardy is a British film director, screenwriter and producer. Born in Wimbledon in 1929, he studied art in Paris in the 1950s, began working as a director for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and made television programs in the United States. He then returned to England to direct commercials. With novelist Anthony Shaffer, he founded the Hardy, Shaffer & Associates production company. In 1973, he directed his first feature film, The Wicker Man. Scripted by Shaffer, it is considered by the British Film Institute to be one of the best films in the history of British cinema.
