4 Star

Sun, Mist, Rain, Midges and Friendship.

From Tull Stories via Strike Media comes a self-affirming film, that is the best thing for the Scottish tourist board. Written and directed by Bart Schrijver (Human Nature) who brings us a story of young friendship, and whether it can endure a ten-year gap. The journey is through the highs and lows of the 600km trail navigating the West Highland Way and Cape Wrath Trail. This is a very close look at what happens when you become an adult and all the stress’ that go with it, while trying to get those feelings you once had as a youth, can friendships withstand the separation?

The trail is best enjoyed without your phone, please turn it off.

We hear a phone call from young friends Chris (Bart Harder, The Forgotten Battle, The City is a Battlefield) and Lluis (Carles Pulido) where they are both full of the joys of spring, as a caption comes up, 10 years later.

 

Our guys have met up at the start of their month-long trip through the Scottish Highlands, big packs on their backs with everything they need to survive the varied weather Scotland can throw at them, but their start, starts off sunny and pleasant as the head for the West Highland Way. They chat on the way catching up on the last ten-years. Along the way they come across Richard (Olly Bassi, Dick Dynamite 1944, Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break) a fellow hiker, not many other people on the trail.

It soon becomes clear that things haven’t started where they left off, as there is soon some physical distance between them as Chris’ workmate Tom (Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen, Boy 7, A Good Kill) keeps phoning him about an important deal that he is the guy that knows the most, while Lluis is dealing with his own demons, one of which is his knees, and he decides to take three days off and take the bus to catch Chris up, as Chris enjoys the scenery and the wooded hills, we don’t get to see Lluis’ trials, but when they meet up again the relationship is more strained.

Chris has to walk on eggshells as Lluis struggles and ends up separated from his friend, both men have things to sort out whether they be external, or internal.

The hiking is six-hundred kilometres, but some journeys are much longer. See this pair as they evolve in the stunning North of Scotland, with beauty like this it would be a shame not to see this stunning film on the big screen. There should also be a big shout to the leads in this journey.

The North is in Cinemas on the 24th April