Garnet's Gold

I was recommended this documentary by a friend and am I glad I was directed towards it. It had me totally gripped from the first take and I can only agree with what the other reviewers felt on watching it. It is both emotionally and visually stunning. As for Garnet what a character. Why he would ever see himself as a failure is beyond me. The depth of feeling which he portrayed for both his Mother and his passions was priceless. He is a real gem in life's rich tapestry. I wish him peace and contentment in whatever the future has in store for him. It was a documentary worth its own weight in gold in so many ways.Brilliant stuff Ed I look forward to your next documentary.

I caught this while channel hopping under it's alternative title 'The Lost Gold of the Highlands'and gave it a go expecting a history documentary...and wasn't prepared for what I got instead. From the opening few moments you fully buy into the story of Garnet, an ageing man who has never let go of a dream that has fixated him since a near death experience twenty years previously. His search for his gold is as much a search for his place in life, a yardstick to measure his own worth and his success as a man and as a human. The intimacy achieved by the filmmakers gets closer than ever and is matched only by Garnet's openness and conspires to construct a warts and all portrait that is at once about the man, and about everybody in the same breath. The cinematography and editing make this visually stunning as shots switch from extreme close up, to the wide open vistas of the Scottish Highlands. I have never seen anything quite like this, and may wait a long time until I do. Seek it out.

In a world...yes, it sounds like a movie, but, in a world of sometimes too much cacophony with adverts and sensationalistic images, we may forget the true meaning of the Human condition: to do the best with who you are and what you have and to love and be loved. Garnet frost story is unbelievable touching as it is someone redeeming himself for some unresolved finished actions towards jobs or even trying his dream. Without to tell the story, what I can say it that from the cinematography to the insight of someone's uniqueness sprinkled with a good dose of eccentricity, you will be just in awe of this film: it should be on any college curriculum to show how special people can be, even when it might not be obvious from the start.The genius of Director Ed Perkins in humbling, the passion for that project of Producers Simon Chinn and John Battsek are inspiring. The editing of Paul Carlin is masterful and the music of J. Ralph is mesmerizing: a must to uplift your soul and touch your heart forever...

Great story, Garnet Frost is an English gem. Beautifully filmed with some wonderful Scottish landscapes the photography is stunning. A quirky, intelligent, interesting man's journey handled by the film maker's with what felt like a genuine warmth. How nice these days to see a persons life treated with dignity and interest rather than the shoddy, "let's laugh at someone different" TV we're mostly served up. I thought this is really about a quest by a man to find his place in the world with a subplot of his search for lost gold. We see the ups and downs of an ordinary/extraordinary man's life as he struggles with love lost, the health of his mum, finances and his passionate search for Bonny Prince Charlie's lost gold ! Along the way there are pub singalongs, marauding midges, weather balloons and a marvellous taste of his poetry. As far as I'm concerned it's a little treasure !

I stumbled across this Storyville film on BBC4 by chance. Without doubt it has a most profound affect on me which I struggle to explain. I am not moved easily but found this film has been with me since I viewed it last week. Perhaps it is because we can all see parts of ourselves within Garnet that it captures our inner imaginations and emotions. I particularly liked his interaction with his elderly mother, who proves to be a captivating woman to watch and listen to her words of wisdom. Garnet has entered my world now and I want to see and hear more of, and from, him. I hope Ed Perkins can find time to do a follow-up that has the same magic. Please watch and make your own judgment. Full marks to the writer and director Ed Perkins for his vision and wonderful photography to take the chance to share this story.