International film crew finish feature in Forres

AFTER six weeks shooting in Forres, an international film crew has returned to Amsterdam, leaving a trail of controversy in its wake.

The team, lead by director Kaweh Modiri, will now spend several months in post-production, editing the final version of low-budget movie ‘Bodkin Ras’ before its release at European festivals.

Bodkin Ras has divided opinion in Forres, as many local people object to perceived negative representations of the community while others argue that the film is fictional and "any publicity is good publicity" for the town.

"Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion," said director, Kaweh Modiri. "But our main motive has never been to make a promotional video."

"We were supported by a broad part of the community," he added. "At the same time we were confronted with concerned locals who felt that we were portraying the town in a dark and sinister way."

Kaweh explained why he chose Forres for the setting and argued that, as a fictional portrayal, he is entitled to artistic licence.

"This film is not about Forres. The people we portray do not represent Forres. They represent themselves, and they are part of a movie called "Bodkin Ras."

The director and staff at Revolver Media believe that their production will highlight talent here, arguing that its dark overtones are only a part of the fictional storyline. They added that the scenery of Forres and Findhorn are of great importance to the film’s appearance and overall experience.

"As a mixed Dutch/Scottish crew we all worked together with great dedication and belief in the project," said Kaweh. "Our goal is to organize a preview of the film in Forres.

"We will keep you updated about this special event in the ‘Gazette’."

Read the full story and the opinion of "Gazette readers in this week’s edition.