Shetland villagers hoping for Local Hero effect as Hollywood comes to Fetlar
The future of a tiny Scottish island could be transformed after it was chosen as the location for a major movie.
Hollywood producer Jim Brown believes his film will turn the island of Fetlar in Shetland into a tourist phenomenon like Pennan, the picturesque Scottish village featured in the huge hit Local Hero.
The movie, Between Weathers, will feature A-listers and will premiere in Toronto and then Cannes.
Filming is planned for May and the invasion of 70 cast and crew will double Fetlar's population of 69.
For decades, Fetlar has been struggling to survive, with a dwindling population and no industry on the island. But it is hoped that in the long term the film will encourage tourism and new families to settle in its wild beauty. Jim said: "Now it is not just a case of we could make a good movie, it's that we could make a difference. That's an added bonus and an added responsibilty."
Between Weathers will be the first film to be made in Shetland since The Edge Of The World, the 1937 classic which was filmed on the desolate island of Foula, about the last days of an island community.
Fetlar - "fertile isle" - is so remote that it takes a Loganair flight from Glasgow or Aberdeen and three ferry crossings from Shetland Mainland to reach it.
The stunning island is only seven miles long and four miles wide but was once home to a thriving community of almost 800 people until its population was ruthlessly decimated by the Clearances of the 1820s.
A few years ago its population dwindled to 48, leaving it barely viable. Fetlar has no pub and its one shop is open for just a few hours a day.
The movie focuses on the fictitious island of Fustra and a man called Thomas who, through the internet, accidentally misleads the world into thinking that the island is home to an exceptionally rare bird thought to have been extinct. Hundreds of experts and twitchers arrive and the island becomes a global sensation. The romantic film is a David and Goliath tale of one islander's fight against the might of an American millionaire who plans to buy out the locals and build a golf course on their island.
Jim claims that he thought of his idea before Donald Trump's controversial plans to create a £1billion golf resort at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire became public.
He said: "I know everyone will think I jumped on the bandwagon. It makes the movie topical but this idea came before Trump announced his plans.
"I see this as a story of a modern-day clearance. That's what is really at the heart of it."
Ewan McGregor's mother Carol is an executive producer on the movie, which will be made by Jim's Aberdeen-based company B4 films.
Jim has been producing, directing and writing shows throughout the world, from LA to Turin, for more than 20 years. Originally from Aberdeen, he has worked on many films, including Superman and The Spy Who Loved Me, and has a bulging contacts book packed with the biggest names in the business.
Over the past two years Jim has been commuting from America, working with stars such as George Michael and Twiggy.
He realises that it will be no easy task transporting more than 15 articulated trucks of gear to the island, never mind the precious cargo of the odd movie star.
He said: "It is not going to be the same in terms of logistics as any other movie. Just getting the equipment there is going to be a major challenge.
"The crew will have to be very well chosen. Not everyone can handle the challenges and we also need actors who are going to muck in. Having anyone who is a prima donna won't work."
The film will be financed through social investment - small shares of £500 can be bought - the idea being that Shetland will own the intellectualproperty of the film and any profits will pour back into the islands.
And investors should get their stake back.
Jim said: "Shetland will be the star of the movie so it deserves the biggest fee.
We couldn't afford the big names who are interested in this movie so the draw for them is that they can be part of something special that will have a positive impact on a community."
Belmont House, a newly restored Georgian mansion on the neighbouring island of Unst, is likely to become home for the stars during the seven weeks of filming and it can double as the laird's house in the movie. Transporting fully made-up cast members will take place on the 30-minute crossing to Fetlar, where otters play under the boards of the ferry terminal and killer whales cavort in the open waters.
Some A-listers will be arriving by helicopter, which will require Bob Leaper - the postman and airport manager - to ensure no sheep have wandered on to the airstrip.
There is no first-class lounge or even a departure terminal, just a concrete hut. Fetlar is a desolate, beautiful place and is so lush that it is known as the Garden of Shetland. But despite its fertile soil, much of the land is under conservation order or is estate land and so little is devoted to crofting.
With no harbour, the island has never really had a fishing business so an influx of tourists would be a major boost.
The population has increased in recent years but the locals are mainly in the 25 to 60 age group and youngsters are still forced to leave for work.
The primary school has closed for a year while it waits for the two kids in nursery to be old enough to move up.
The island's last teacher went to the Falklands but locals are hoping he returns.
Gwilym Gibbons, director of Shetland Arts, who are partners in the movie, said the film could regenerate Fetlar. He said: "It is potentially transformational for Fetlar and for Shetland. The magic that Fetlar has, which can be demonstrated in a film, will lead to significant numbers of visitors and some might return to live there.
"The placing of Fetlar out there in the world is hugely important."
