The Return to the Edge of the World

A group of tourists arrives by boat on Hirta (Foula), one of the lonely and deserted Shetland Islands. The skipper Andrew Gray, who comes from the island and knows its history, accompanies the group on a tour of the island. The islanders, once proud of their isolation, were split when their island faced economic and health problems. Some wanted to leave, others stubbornly refused to abandon the island and its traditions.Powell regarded The Edge of the World as his first real film, the first film he could make with complete artistic freedom. Shooting was made very difficult by the harsh landscape, the storms and the raging sea. Life on the island, in complete isolation, fascinated Powell. He wrote: 'The geographical definition of an island is a piece of land entirely surrounded by water. Please notice the adverb; "entirely" - what a difficult word to live up to. But every true island does and that is its fascination.'