The Spirit of Albion

A wonderful movie, well acted full of truth...powerful truth. and this truth is true for either a Pagan or non-pagan. If you yearn for a moment of spirit in your busy everyday life, this is the one movie you must see! Is it a special effects Hollywood Blockbuster? No. Will it leave you with both a song in your mind and heart? Yes. The Music by Damh the Bard is powerful and moving, he is a modern day Bard who brings a story to our lives and a hope to the landscape. This is a must see movie. Buy it, own it, and have a movie premier for your friends and family, they will thank you for it, what other movie can promise you that?

Like the previous reviewer I have to confess to having followed the production of this movie over the last year and to being a pagan.

So often when you've been waiting a long time for something like this it can never quite live up to your expectations, but in many ways this movie exceeded mine - even though it was a very low-budget film the quality of the acting was excellent, the story was very good, the music of Damh the Bard is fantastic (he's released several independent albums - check them out - and if you ever get the chance to see him live... take it!).

The only thing that I found detracted from the film slightly was that a couple of the actors' singing was really not quite up to scratch - such a shame they couldn't find a couple of hundred quid in the budget for some singing lessons - hence 9/10 rather than 10/10.

The story is about a small group of people who hate their lives and find themselves transported out to a grove in the middle of the night. They learn about the old gods and the ways of paganism and realise that... well I don't want to spoil it by giving too much away - though you can probably guess what they come to realise.

If you're a pagan... watch it. If you're unhappy with your life... watch it. If you love the countryside and feel there's something more to it than just grass and trees... watch the film. If you're an investment banker who thinks he deserves his £1 million bonus and loves spending money on material goods... probably best to give it a miss.

I appreciated the message but I thought much of it was cringeworthy. For a start I don't like musicals - way too much singing. A lot of the singing was bad, and some of the lyrics were a bit painful. I nearly burst out laughing when the girl's brother turned up and the 'old ones' pulled out bow and arrow, jumped in defence, etc - so corny it was funny. The makeup was overdone and it was all just a bit contrived. I'm not sure who the movie was aimed at. If it was aimed at pagans, it was like preaching to the converted. If it was aimed at non-pagans, they'd just laugh at it. I couldn't take it seriously (and I'm pagan) so I doubt any non-pagan could. I couldn't wait for the movie to be over so I could go home. Too stagey for me.

I find the storyline brilliant, and a bit surprising sometimes, which adds to the story's quality in my opinion.

Having waited for the film ever since I knew the film was being made, I watched it right after getting it. I was totally stunned, even though the singers aren't quite so good at singing. But that's not important, for they sing with compassion, with their souls. The message of the film is ... well, see for yourself.

The spoken and sung language in the movie is in my opinion really understandable for people who don't speak English as a first language. Although my wife says she isn't good at English she could follow the movie easily, was as stunned and moved as me (I also don't speak English as a first language). So I'd recommend the film to anyone anywhere in the world who has got love for mother Earth in his soul, anyone who feels the power of Nature deep within.

The Spirit of Albion has been, shall we say, eagerly awaited by the pagan community, with many of us knowing it was coming for a year or more! The film began life as a Youth Theatre production, then there was a second production with an adult cast. And finally it has made it onto the big-screen and DVD. Egotrip Media, Damh the Bard and all those involved with the film have done a fantastic job. As described by the director The Spirit of Albion is a "low budget, independent British film" that has been shot and produced over the last year. The plays and subsequently the film are based around the music of Damh the Bard. So with the technical ramblings out of the way...where to start with this review? OK so I might be a little biased, as I've been keeping tabs on Gary, the cast and crew through their production diaries on you-tube, but I feel the film delivered above and beyond anyones expectations and I would recommend it to anyone pagan or not! It's NOT a Hollywood blockbuster with mind-blowing special effects and cameos from HUGE name actors, rather what it is is a wonderful all-singing, some-dancing celebration and explanation of British Paganism. The sound track is, as expected, superb and all the actors rose to the challenge of singing Dave's songs beautifully. If you watch it as a musical and theatrical journey into your own perception of the world around you I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. But don't take my word for it, go to their website, order a DVD and see for your self. A huge thank you to everyone involved for bringing us a truly magical creation. Peace and love