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			{{Short description\|1992 Welsh anti-war biopic}}
⚫	{{Infobox ~~Film~~
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=October 2020}}
		⚫	{{Infobox film
	\| name = Hedd Wyn		\| name = Hedd Wyn
	\| image = Hedd_wyn_film_poster.jpg		\| image = Hedd_wyn_film_poster.jpg
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	\| starring = ]		\| starring = ]
	\| distributor = ]		\| distributor = ]
	\| country = ~~{{flag\|Wales}}~~		\| country = ]
	\| runtime = 123 ~~min.~~		\| runtime = 123 minutes
	\| language = ]		\| language = ]
	\| imdb_id = 0104403
	}}		}}
	'''''Hedd Wyn''''' is a ] ] ] written by ] and directed by ]. It won a ] for the best foreign language film in the year of its release. It was nominated for an ].

			'''''Hedd Wyn''''' is a 1992 Welsh ] ], written by ] and directed by ].<ref name="BFI 1">{{cite web\|title=The BFI: Hedd Wyn (1992)\|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7c1b94fb\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106103224/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7c1b94fb\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=6 January 2017\|accessdate=5 January 2017 \|publisher=]\|year=2017\|work=British Film Institute website}}</ref><ref name="MEW 1">{{cite web\|title=Media Education Wales: Hedd Wyn (English)\|url=http://mediaed.org.uk/film/hedd-wyn-the-armageddon-poet\|accessdate=14 July 2010\|publisher=]\|year=2001\|work=Media Ed website\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110115424/http://mediaed.org.uk/film/hedd-wyn-the-armageddon-poet\|archive-date=10 November 2014\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Sgrin 1">{{cite web\|title=House of Commons – Culture, Media and Sport – written evidence \|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmcumeds/667/667we10.htm \|date=18 September 2003 \|accessdate=11 December 2010 \|publisher=] \|work=] website}}</ref>
	The film is a ] based on the life of the legendary Welsh poet ] (]), who was killed in the ] and posthumously awarded a Chair and the ]. The ] starkly contrasts the lyrical beauty of the poet's native ] with the bombed out horrors of ].

			''Hedd Wyn'' won the ]'s Award for Best Single Drama and ] Awards in several categories; and was the first ] film nominated for an ].<ref name="Wales Arts">{{cite web\|title=Welsh film history: 1990–99 \|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/film/pages/history-1990-1999.shtml \|accessdate=11 December 2010 \|publisher=]\|date=5 March 2010\|work=] website}}</ref><ref name="Oscars1994">{{Cite web\|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1994 \|title=The 66th Academy Awards (1994) Nominees and Winners \|accessdate=25 September 2015 \|work=oscars.org\|date=4 October 2014 }}</ref>

			==Background==
			Based on the life of ] (]), killed in the ], the ] starkly contrasts the lyrical beauty of the poet's native ] with the bombed-out horrors of ]. The ] is depicted as a ] with an intense dislike of the pro-war ] which surrounds him. The film's title is Ellis Evans's ] ({{IPA\|cy\|heːð wɨ̞n\|pron}}, "blessed peace"), under which he was posthumously awarded the ] at the 1917 ].<ref name="MEW 1"/><ref name="Archifau">{{cite web\|title=Hedd Wyn Manuscripts \|url=http://www.archiveswales.org.uk/anw/get_collection.php?inst_id=39&coll_id=10481&expand=\|date=16 November 2004 \|accessdate=11 December 2010 \|publisher=] \|work=] website}}</ref>

	==Plot==		==Plot==
			As a farmer's son in the village of ], Ellis Humphrey Evans composes poetry for local ]au under the bardic name ''Hedd Wyn'' ("Blessed Peace"), dreaming of being crowned Chief Bard at the ]. When, in August 1914, Britain declares war on ], several young men from Trawsfynydd join the British Army, including Ellis' friend Griff. Despite mounting pressure, Ellis refuses to enlist and says that he does not think he can kill anyone.
	The motion picture opens with the camera panning over a intricate wooden carving on the "Black Chair" of ]. The voice of the Archdruid Dyfed is heard repeatedly calling for the person who used the ], "]," to stand and be ]. The film then flashes back 5 weeks to ], ], during the ]. Private Ellis Humphrey Evans is mortally wounded by ] in ] and is left for hours lying where he fell. As he contemplates what has brought him to this, the film flashes back to 1913. As a young farmer's son in the village of ], Ellis composes poetry between bouts of alcohol and womanising. When ] breaks out in 1914, he rejects repeated entreaties to enlist, stating that he doesn't think he can kill anyone. Even his fiancée's accusations of ] cannot shake his resolve to stay out of the war. As a result, his engagement ends in an acrimonious split.

			On a train, Ellis encounters Jini Owen, a young woman who admires his poetry. Noticing her interest in him, Ellis asks for Jini's address and sends her a letter. Soon the two are deeply in love. Not long afterwards, an official of the draft board arrives at the family farm and takes down the names of Ellis and his brother Bob, despite the resistance of Ellis' mother. As a result, the board informs the Evans family that one of their sons must enlist in the British Army.
	In the aftermath, Ellis continues to pursue his dream of winning the ]. Although the quality of his poetry improves his reputation, he continues to fall short of his goal.

			Although 17-year-old Bob longs to enlist instead, Ellis refuses to permit this. Horrified of losing him, Jini pleads with Ellis to let Bob enlist in his place but Ellis says he could never live with himself if Bob were injured or killed, so departs to join the ] in ]<ref name="Archifau"/> and after training is sent to the front in France. Facing what may be his last chance to win the Eisteddfod, Ellis pleads with his platoon commander to send his ] '']'' (The Hero) via the Army Postal Service.
	Ultimately, the draft board orders his parents to send one of their sons to join the ]. Although his seventeen year old brother longs to go instead, Ellis refuses to permit this and enlists in the ]. Despite the insults showered on them by their English-speaking officers, Ellis and his fellow soldiers continue their training in good spirits and are sent to ].

			On 31 July 1917, the Fusiliers go ] and into the ]. Ellis witnesses his fellow soldiers being shot and blown to pieces around him before, finally, he is wounded by ] and crumples to the ground. After hours lying in ], Ellis is evacuated to an aid post, where he succumbs to his injuries. His parents are devastated when they receive a ] informing them of his death. Jini weeps inconsolably as she reads Ellis' last letter, in which he proposes marriage. Soon after, the Evans family receives another telegram which announces that Ellis' submission has won the National Eisteddfod and the chair which Ellis has dreamed of all his life is delivered to his parents' farmhouse, robed in black.
	Realising that it may be his last chance to win the Eisteddfod, Ellis pleads with his commanding officer to send his poem '']'' (The Hero) via the ]. The English Commander, who is unable to read Welsh, at first refuses to mail the poem, thinking that it could be a coded message to the ]. As the Fusiliers march toward the ], however, he relents, mails Ellis' submission, and praises his poetic talents.

			==Commentary==
	As the Fusiliers go ] at Pilckem Ridge, Ellis watches his friends being shot and blown to pieces around him. At last, he is wounded himself and crumples to the ground.
			''Hedd Wyn'' has been cited by Kate Woodward of ] as one of "a number of films produced for S4C which ... scrutinized the trinity of dynamic tensions that existed between Wales, England and 'Britain'".<ref name="Woodward">{{cite journal\|last=Woodward \|first=Kate \|title=Traditions and transformations: film in Wales during the 1990s \|url=http://www.learningace.com/doc/984600/d8eb6b9d94d592b0e3de94accf694058/k-woodward \|accessdate=18 November 2014 \|journal=North American Journal of Welsh Studies \|volume=6 \|edition=1 (winter 2006)\|page=50 \|year=2006 }}</ref> It is described as "expressing the feelings of Welsh men who are fighting the British cause in wartime, despite their being at odds with aspects of the conflict and the priorities of a Westminster government....In the film, the war-mongering attitude is synonymous with England and Englishness, and the Welsh and English languages are persistently juxtaposed....he Welsh language is a site of struggle, but by exploring its difference with the English language, it is also a means of defining and strengthening one's identity".<ref name="Woodward"/>

			==Awards==
	After Ellis is finally evacuated to hospital, he finally succumbs to his injuries. His devastated family receives two telegrams, one which carries news of his death and another which announces that his last poem has won the National Eisteddfod. The award, an intricately carved wooded chair, is delivered to his parents robed in black.
			''Hedd Wyn'' was the first British film ] for ], in 1993, at the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ]. Its nomination as a film from the United Kingdom - as opposed to Wales - caused controversy. ''Hedd Wyn'''s awards include the ]'s Award for Best Single Drama (1992), ]'s Spirit of the Festival Award (1993), First Prize at the Belgium Film Festival (1994) and a section award at the ] (1994).<ref>{{cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f899xH_quaMC&pg=PA899\|title=Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia \|last=Koch\|first=John\|authorlink=John T. Koch\|publisher=ABC-CLIO\|year=2006\|isbn=978-1-85109-440-0\|page=899}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.rts.org.uk/doclib/Awards_Archive_January_2008.DOC\|publisher=Royal Television Society\|title=RTS National Awards\|format=DOC\|year=2008\|accessdate=17 December 2010\|page=18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Film Archive \|url=http://www.kviff.com/en/films/film-archive-search-results/H/\|date=10 December 2010 \|accessdate=17 December 2010 \|publisher=] \|work=] website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal\|last=Leavy\|first=Suzan\|date=Spring 1994\|title=Relax Oscar nomination rules and give Wales a fair chance\|journal=Television Today\|number=5895\|pages=19\|via=BFI}}</ref>

			==See also==

			* ]
			* ]
			* ]
			* ]

			==References ==
			<references />

	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{~~imdb~~ title\|id=0104403\|title=Hedd Wyn}}		*{{IMDb title\|id=0104403\|title=Hedd Wyn}}
	*		*

			{{British submissions for the Academy Award}}
	{{CinemaoftheUK}}

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Hedd Wyn (Film)}}
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Latest revision as of 00:47, 26 November 2024

1992 Welsh anti-war biopic

Hedd Wyn

Directed by	Paul Turner
Written by	Alan Llwyd
Starring	Huw Garmon
Distributed by	S4C
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	Welsh

Hedd Wyn is a 1992 Welsh anti-war biopic, written by Alan Llwyd and directed by Paul Turner.

Hedd Wyn won the Royal Television Society's Award for Best Single Drama and BAFTA Cymru Awards in several categories; and was the first Welsh language film nominated for an Academy Award.

Background

Based on the life of Ellis Humphrey Evans (Huw Garmon), killed in the First World War, the cinematography starkly contrasts the lyrical beauty of the poet's native Meirionnydd with the bombed-out horrors of Passchendaele. The protagonist is depicted as a tragic hero with an intense dislike of the pro-war jingoism which surrounds him. The film's title is Ellis Evans's bardic name (pronounced [heːð wɨ̞n], "blessed peace"), under which he was posthumously awarded the Bardic Chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Plot

As a farmer's son in the village of Trawsfynydd, Ellis Humphrey Evans composes poetry for local eisteddfodau under the bardic name Hedd Wyn ("Blessed Peace"), dreaming of being crowned Chief Bard at the National Eisteddfod. When, in August 1914, Britain declares war on Germany, several young men from Trawsfynydd join the British Army, including Ellis' friend Griff. Despite mounting pressure, Ellis refuses to enlist and says that he does not think he can kill anyone.

On a train, Ellis encounters Jini Owen, a young woman who admires his poetry. Noticing her interest in him, Ellis asks for Jini's address and sends her a letter. Soon the two are deeply in love. Not long afterwards, an official of the draft board arrives at the family farm and takes down the names of Ellis and his brother Bob, despite the resistance of Ellis' mother. As a result, the board informs the Evans family that one of their sons must enlist in the British Army.

Although 17-year-old Bob longs to enlist instead, Ellis refuses to permit this. Horrified of losing him, Jini pleads with Ellis to let Bob enlist in his place but Ellis says he could never live with himself if Bob were injured or killed, so departs to join the Royal Welch Fusiliers in Liverpool and after training is sent to the front in France. Facing what may be his last chance to win the Eisteddfod, Ellis pleads with his platoon commander to send his awdl Yr Arwr (The Hero) via the Army Postal Service.

On 31 July 1917, the Fusiliers go over the top and into the Battle of Passchendaele. Ellis witnesses his fellow soldiers being shot and blown to pieces around him before, finally, he is wounded by shrapnel and crumples to the ground. After hours lying in no man's land, Ellis is evacuated to an aid post, where he succumbs to his injuries. His parents are devastated when they receive a telegram informing them of his death. Jini weeps inconsolably as she reads Ellis' last letter, in which he proposes marriage. Soon after, the Evans family receives another telegram which announces that Ellis' submission has won the National Eisteddfod and the chair which Ellis has dreamed of all his life is delivered to his parents' farmhouse, robed in black.

Commentary

Hedd Wyn has been cited by Kate Woodward of Aberystwyth University as one of "a number of films produced for S4C which ... scrutinized the trinity of dynamic tensions that existed between Wales, England and 'Britain'". It is described as "expressing the feelings of Welsh men who are fighting the British cause in wartime, despite their being at odds with aspects of the conflict and the priorities of a Westminster government....In the film, the war-mongering attitude is synonymous with England and Englishness, and the Welsh and English languages are persistently juxtaposed....he Welsh language is a site of struggle, but by exploring its difference with the English language, it is also a means of defining and strengthening one's identity".

Awards

Hedd Wyn was the first British film to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, in 1993, at the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy Awards. Its nomination as a film from the United Kingdom - as opposed to Wales - caused controversy. Hedd Wyn's awards include the Royal Television Society's Award for Best Single Drama (1992), Celtic Film Festival's Spirit of the Festival Award (1993), First Prize at the Belgium Film Festival (1994) and a section award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (1994).

References

"The BFI: Hedd Wyn (1992)". British Film Institute website. British Film Institute. 2017. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
^ "Media Education Wales: Hedd Wyn (English)". Media Ed website. British Film Institute. 2001. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
"House of Commons – Culture, Media and Sport – written evidence". UK Parliament website. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 18 September 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
"Welsh film history: 1990–99". BBC Cymru Wales website. BBC. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
"The 66th Academy Awards (1994) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
^ "Hedd Wyn Manuscripts". Archives Wales website. Archives Wales. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
^ Woodward, Kate (2006). "Traditions and transformations: film in Wales during the 1990s". North American Journal of Welsh Studies. 6 (1 (winter 2006) ed.): 50. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
Koch, John (2006). Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 899. ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0.
"RTS National Awards" (DOC). Royal Television Society. 2008. p. 18. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
"Film Archive". Karlovy Vary International Film Festival website. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. 10 December 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
Leavy, Suzan (Spring 1994). "Relax Oscar nomination rules and give Wales a fair chance". Television Today (5895): 19 – via BFI.

External links

v t e British submissions for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
1991–2000	Lost in Siberia (1991) Hedd Wyn (1993) Branwen (1995) Cameleon (1998) Solomon & Gaenor (1999)
2001–2010	Do Not Go Gentle (2001) Eldra (2002) Hope Eternal (2008) Afghan Star (2009)
2011–2020	Patagonia (2011) Metro Manila (2013) Little Happiness (2014) Under Milk Wood (2015) Under the Shadow (2016) My Pure Land (2017) I Am Not a Witch (2018) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
2021-present	Dying to Divorce (2021) Winners (2022) The Zone of Interest (2023) Santosh (2024)

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