The great Highland deer cull to feature in new film
“Sometimes I think it’s people that need rewilding, not actually the great outdoors."
Such is one view in a new multi-award winning documentary which focuses on the fiery debate which has long surrounded the red deer cull in Badenoch and Strathspey and beyond.
The Cull – Scotland’s Deer Dilemma, created by British filmmakers Ted Simpson and Finbar O'Sullivan, has won Best Film in the Mountain Environment and Natural History Category at the Banff Mountain Film Festival and best environmental film at Britain's Kendal Mountain Film Festival.
It is director Ted Simpson’s first feature film.
The work uncovers the different approaches to deer management taken by land owners and managers in Scotland, without presenting a 'right and wrong', delving past the vitriol in the search for common ground.
"Talking to people from all over Scotland, we intentionally build in a variety of clashing perspectives, from crofters, gamekeepers, land managers, land owners, environmentalists & rewilders — all fighting to use and protect the land in the way they see fit," says Simpson.
There are over 350,000 red deer in Scotland, and they have a massive impact on the landscapes of the Highlands. Deer are culled each year in an attempt to manage and maintain the landscape and ecosystem that they are a central part of.
That is a responsibility undertaken by the people of the Highlands.
"Over the last 60 years a debate has raged regarding the size, nature, and purpose of the deer cull. Our documentary questions whether deer should be protected, or whether the glens and mountains be returned to the wild... and if so, what happens to the people that call these places home?"
The impact of the debate will change how people see, interact with and even inhabit the Scottish highlands — and the future of our wild places hang in the balance.
Production for The Cull began in March 2018 with its creator venturing out to meet different contributors face to face to cultivate a better understanding of the different perspectives of deer management, from the varying groups engaged with the debate.
In September 2019, after recruiting producer Fin O’Sullivan to the team, filming began during the harsh winter months and continued well into the new year in various locations across the Highlands. The team finally completed filming in March 2020 and post production began in the Highlands during the lockdown earlier this year.
The team are now looking to expand further on this work, looking for distribution opportunities for this award winning debut, and funding and commissions to further explore the controversial topics of rewilding and the future of the Scottish highlands.
The film will be available to watch at Kendal Mountain Festival until 31st December. It’s also being featured on the Texas Wild Film Tour.
