Out now with The New Yorker & BBC iPlayer.
“An absolute gem of a documentary; sensitively made, touching and tender.”
– David Nicholls, Bestselling Author of One Day
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. He has never left his valley, eats the same meal every day and works his farm alone, where his family of 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 as a society.
The film was directed, produced and self-funded by filmmaker Christian Cargill, with original music composed by Scottish multi-instrumentalist Erland Cooper.
One of 98 films to qualify for the 95th Academy Awards for Best Documentary Short.
AWARDS
Winner – Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary Short
Winner – Bolton Film Festival, Best Documentary
Winner – British Shorts Berlin, Audience Award
Winner – Shorts México, Best International Documentary
Winner – Wales Film Festival, Jury’s Award for Best Short Documentary
Shortlist – The IDA Documentary Awards
Shortlist – The Kinsale Shark Awards
Finalist – The British Short Film Awards
Finalist – The Music+Sound Awards
FESTIVALS – Official Selection
EnergaCAMERIMAGE – Golden Frog Nominee for Short Documentary
PÖFF Shorts – Nominated for Best Live Action Short
RIFFA – Nominated for Best International Short
Meet the Press Film Festival at DOC NYC
GlobeDocs Film Festival
The South London Film Festival – Finalist
AmDocs Film Festival 2023
FrontDoc International Documentary Festival
San Diego International Film Festival
Shorts Not Pants Festival
Washington West Film Festival
CineSol 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