Fundraisers Keen to Bring Scottish Folklore to the Big Screen

A group of creators hopes to raise £1150 in order to create their short film showcasing Scotland’s mythology and scenery.

Image of the concept poster for the short film, Faithful. Vaila is on the left, and Cú-Síth on the right. (credit to Vicky Neville)

Faithful is the name of the short film a small team of dedicated creators is eager to bring to the big screen.

The story of Faithful follows a young girl, Vaila, embarking on a quest to find the mythical Cú-Síth (a dog of the underworld), so that she can trick the creature into helping bring her mother back to life. The film seeks to use Scottish mythology to help explore the complex notions of grief and evolution.

“One of the key elements of the story is not just Vaila’s journey, but that of the Cú-Síth himself,” says director Lucy Linger.

“When we first meet the Cú-Síth he is the stuff of legends, a mystical, mysterious, and even scary creature... "But when he meets Vaila and joins her on her journey, he becomes more grounded, a girl’s best friend, and he’s torn between the mythical world and the real world of Vaila.”

Funding put towards this emotive tale would allow the team to create a short teaser trailer featuring Vaila (played by Scottish actress Lily McGuire) and the Cú-Síth, (played by dogs Dui and Wiki). With the teaser trailer and a larger crowdfunding campaign, they would not only be able to create their 15-minute short film but also shine a light on Scotland’s past.

Image of a miniature model mock-up of the Cú-Síth (credit to Emma Park)

Mythology Matters

Speaking on why the Cú-Síth was chosen for this film, writer, and producer Fraser Coull said: “I like to try to subvert expectations in my work, to try and do something different... I went through my database of Scottish creatures, and the Cú-Síth came up. And I thought it would be great to do a "dog and his best friend" story, but have the dog be the harbinger of death.”

For Coull, this short film is part of a much larger mission. “I’m personally working on a Marvel Cinematic Universe-style world but in the world of Scottish folklore and mythology. We have such a large collection of myths and legends that we haven’t tapped into yet... Faithful is a live-action short, and it’s the first step towards creating that universe.”

Image of an AI interpretation of their Cú-Síth (Courtesy of Fraser Coull)

A Love Letter to the Outer Hebrides

The setting of Faithful is the Outer Hebrides due to its link to the Cú-Síth myth. When asked why this mattered, Coull said, It’s really important to me that we’re not just highlighting the same cities over and over again.”

According to Visit Outer Hebrides’ most recent annual survey, they welcomed over 219,000 visitors in 2017, with over 80% of these visitors coming from the UK, and the majority from other parts of Scotland.

Faithful’s creators hope the short film will show this other side of Scotland to the world. “There’s more to Scotland than just granite,” said Coull. “Scotland is filled with magical and fairytale-looking locations, and I think it’s time we put them on the big screen.”

To help fund the short film, Faithful, please visit:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/faithful-a-scottish-folklore-short-film#/