It’s a Victorian feature family drama for S4C, entitled Y Syrcas, now shooting in Tregaron, Ceredigion.  Kevin Allen’s regular cameraman, Andy Hollis, is lighting the ambitious feature, which tells the  true story al(though “legend” might be a more accurate descriptor) of Tregaron, circa 1848, when the rural, uber-religious Welsh town burst to life with the arrival of a dazzling, anarchic traveling circus.  And an elephant.  (It’s all about the elephant, no?)

Said the Twin Towns director in an interview with the BBC online: “Personally, I wasn’t familiar with the Tregaron elephant story–I think there are lots of elephants supposedly buried all over the country and it’s quite a convenient way of attracting people to the local pub!  Narratively, it’s a lovely story and the dynamic between the young girl, Sara, and her religious father works really well.”

The film is expected to screen as the key 2013 Christmas film on S4C (though it now looks like it may be pushed back a bit) and is expected to have a limited theatrical run in the UK just prior to its S4C broadcast.  Y Syrcas is produced by fFatti fFilms for S4C and will be sold internationally by Aimimage.

Needless to say, when filming with animals,  even pros like the two elephants in Y Syrcas, you’re adding an element of unpredictability to a shoot.  All the more reason to shoot with the predictably awesome Arri Alexa (and predictably awesome Arri Alexa hire, if we do say so ourselves).