Yr Ymadawiad

This film must rank as one of the best to come out of Wales, either in English or in welsh....and if you want to know something about Wales please watch this rather than John Ford's How Green Was My Valley (which by the way is surely due an authentic Welsh remake).

Sadly Yr Ymadawiad has had minimal cinematic exposure in its own country, (I saw it at a one off sub-titled screening in my local Odeon, in Swansea, at 11pm on a Saturday night), and the reason for this must inevitably be the pervading attitude in large parts of Wales towards its mother tongue.

Of the handful of welsh language (or Cymraeg) cinematic films in existence this one definitely ranks as one of the finest. It demonstrates a maturity, a depth, and a raw dramatic impact which keeps the viewer glued throughout. Having said that is it a slow paced piece, with only three main characters to keep the story alive, yet the constant twists, the slow reveals, and the mounting tension, makes for a tumultuous climax.

With shades of M.Night Shyalaman, there is something unforgettable here. An incredibly sad film, which in some ways contains elements of many other great ghost films. The characters are completely tied up in their own conflicts, pain, and obsessions. But these somehow come together,leading seamlessly to a tragic denouement.

The ultimate scene is well worth waiting for, and though it works as a stand alone cinematic twist it is especially poignant if you are 'up on' welsh social history of post-war Wales. I didn't see it coming, but it has stayed with me. A haunting, sad experience...which actually achieves something rarely seen in welsh popular art: something deep about the native culture is conveyed from the point of view of the native culture itself.

Overall, this is an accessible, original work, and certainly worth a watch for anyone be they welsh speaking or not.

I tend to go down these cultural rabbit holes. After watching Severn Screen's second season of the excellent Hidden (Craith, in Welsh), I was drawn to this feature length 'horror' written a few years earlier by Ed Talfan, producer of Hinterland and Hidden, and a particularly gruesome historical horror film The Apostle from 2018.

The trailer suggested it was going to be a horror film, I think. The premise being that it starts with a lonely man tending to a run down farm, building a well. He's played by Mark Lewis Jones, a Welsh actor of some stature, who brought real presence recently to both his part as Steve Baldini in Keeping Faith and as Prince Charles' Welsh language tutor, Edward Millward in The Crown. There is a sense of foreboding and a tragic, hidden menace, but as the story goes on you're sure the gentle giant Lewis Jones' Stanley is just that, but that the young man and the woman he's pulled from a crashed car have something they're running from.

All of the spoken dialogue is in Welsh, but it's also sparse and packed full of non-verbal tension, with just the three actors, the couple played by Annes Elwy from Hidden, and Dyfan Dwyfor who stars in S4C's Bang, which is now on my list. Yet for all of the uncertain undercurrents of tragedy and loss, The Passing is a remarkably tender and reflective story. There are a couple of dark twists that I can't even begin to hint at, but by the end of it (and I'd worked it out), you realise it's a work of quiet allegorical genius. Like many of the other projects that Talfan and his cohort are creating, it's a body of work that not only tells the stories of the people of Wales, that lets the landscape play an important central part, but does so in knowing and critical solidarity. It's far more ambitious in that regard than just Scandi Noir, Welsh style, unless of course I'm missing something cultural there too.

Should I pay any attention to reviews on IMDb? I was surprised it wasn't higher rated, but those who just didn't get it seemed to really hate it. Yes, there are things that happen that are improbable, impossible, inexplicable. That's the point. All I'll say is this: Cofiwch Drywern. So if you know what that means, fine, if you don't, that's not fine and you probably ought to read more.

Iwan and Sara (Dyfan Dwyfor and Annes Elwy) are rescued from a river, having driven their car into it. Stanley (Mark Lewis Jones), their rescuer, lives a rugged, solitary life in the Welsh mountains. He takes the couple back to his farmhouse to recuperate. Over time, stories are told and secrets are revealed, leading to a final, unsettling disclosure.

THE PASSING is a somber film that appears to make little sense until the denouement. Everything becomes clear at that point. This movie draws from a long tradition in supernatural tales. To say more would ruin it. A second viewing is recommended in order to see what wasn't so obvious the first time...

A previous reviewer spent time detailing the scenes in the movie, most in regard to water related scenes, that were inaccurate in his/her view. Yet the inaccuracies were the entire point. I think this is summed up quite magnificently at the end of this gem of a movie. In my opinion, any movie made in the last 10 years that has you reviewing it in your mind for a period of time after viewing it, has merit. In this age of predictable, cookie cutter movies and prequels, sequels etc., an original screenplay and story with thought behind it is a unicorn. Loved it.

The Passing is an excellent feature that belies its low budget production. Beautifully shot and well- acted, with an intriguing script and embellished by a wonderful score, it's a real shame this film has not found a wider audience. I wonder of the fact that it is a Welsh-language feature (the first ever, I think) has put people off? That would be a shame because the film bears comparison with any European film of a similar ilk. It's well worth seeking out. So far, The Passing is only available via the BFI website (which is how I came across it), but hopefully it will make its way onto a more mainstream platform before too long. Highly recommended.