Winner of Best Documentary Short at Tribeca Film Festival and one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 23 Short Docs of 2022, Heart Valley follows a day in the life of Welsh shepherd Wilf Davies.
After a chance article on him in The Guardian newspaper, Wilf’s perspective on life struck a chord with millions in the height of lockdown. He has never left his valley, eats the same meal every day and works his farm alone, where his family of over one hundred black-spotted sheep rely on him. And yet, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Although faced with a rapidly changing farming community, Wilf’s inquisitive attitude and connection to nature provoke big questions about what it is we should truly value.
The film was directed and self-funded by first-time filmmaker Christian Cargill, with original music composed by Scottish multi-instrumentalist Erland Cooper.
AWARDS
Shortlist for The IDA Documentary Awards 2022
Finalist for The British Short Film Awards 2022
FESTIVALS – Official Selection
Tribeca Film Festival – Winner of Best Documentary Short 🏆
Bolton Film Festival – Winner of Best Documentary 🏆
Shorts México – Winner of Best International Documentary 🏆
Wales Film Festival – Winner of Jury’s Prize for Short Documentary 🏆
EnergaCAMERIMAGE
PÖFF Shorts
Meet the Press Film Festival at DOC NYC
GlobeDocs Film Festival
RIFFA – Nominated for Best International Short
The South London Film Festival – Finalist
San Diego International Film Festival
CineSol Film Festival
FrontDoc International Documentary Festival
Shorts Not Pants Festival
Washington West Film Festival
EXHIBITIONS
Travel, Bureau Europa (Netherlands 2022)
CREDITS
Directed, Written & Edited by Christian Cargill
Produced by Christian Cargill, Lily Wakeley & Kiran Sidhu
Cinematography & Sound by Christian Cargill
Written by Kiran Sidhu
Music Composed by Erland Cooper
Sound Design by Guy Chase
Colour by Max Ferguson-Hook at Time Based Arts
Design by Treyvond Thomas & Daniel Grieshofer
PRESS
The Guardian | BBC World – Talking Movies Review
BBC News (06/22) | Cinematic Faves Review | BBC News (05/22) | BBC Radio Wales
Farmers Weekly | North Wales Live | Wales Online | Nation Cymru