Crucial decisions about the future, heritage and a way of life are the themes of the hour long S4C drama Tir (Land) on Sunday, 16 June. Tir is a television adaption of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru's theatrical script Tir Sir Gâr, and its broadcast is the highlight of S4C's Cynefin season of programmes about rural life. Tir tells the story of a family forced to face an uncertain future due to the sudden illness of the father. Around the kitchen table, the mother and her four children meet to discuss the future. With the acclaimed actress Rhian Morgan in the role of the mother, the cast also includes the four young actors Catherine Ayers, Siôn Ifan, Gwydion Rhys and Lucy Hannah. Each presents their own view on the future of the farm – to battle on, diversify, or sell up and move on – with their father's illness a constant shadow. "Tir is a discussion about farming, the role of farmers in society and the huge pressure and difficulties they face to maintain a living. The main theme is what happens when people leave their communities and the effect it has on rural life," says Tir writer Roger Williams, who is also the writer of popular S4C drama series Gwaith/Cartref. Roger was brought up in the town of Carmarthen and as he prepared to write this story he spent a great deal of time with rural families in Carmarthenshire – and even helped out with a shift on a dairy farm. He learned that a large number of families have faced the same uncertainties discussed in the drama. "As I created the story I was aware that we were dealing with a subject which was very close to people's hearts. As someone who doesn't come from an agricultural background, I didn't want to misrepresent this community. I didn't want to put something on screen that people thought wasn’t realistic or didn’t ring true," says Roger One of the farms where Tir was filmed is itself an example of a farm which has diversified. The farm on the edge of Carmarthen with glorious views of the Towy Valley stopped being a working dairy farm many years ago and its owners now rent the land to neighbouring farmers. "I was confident we wouldn't have any trouble finding a suitable farm for the filming, because so many of the area's farms have given up the business of farming. This theme is an important one in the television drama; so many people have been through the experience of selling their land and farms. A lot of people have been given the opportunity to inherit a farm, but have chosen instead to go out to work. The feelings created by the decisions people have made about their family's way of life and breaking ties with past traditions are extremely powerful." Tir Sunday 16 June 8.30pm, S4C English subtitles A Joio production for S4C Website: s4c.co.uk On demand: s4c.co.uk/clic |
| Joio productions for S4C web site: s4c.co.uk |
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Friday, June 14, 2013 |
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