This film is part of Free
Old Norse Vikings Festival
Viking chieftains, flaming torches and outlandish costumes liven up a dark January day in Lerwick, Shetland, as the townsfolk celebrate 'Up Helly Aa'.
Overview
Surprises abound in this extraordinary film of Shetland's famous fire festival, 'Up Helly Aa'. First up, chief Guizer Jarl and his Viking cronies lead a spectacular torch procession and boat burning ceremony. But the fun really begins with the costume parade (look out for the Michelin men) and comedy skits: an American prison scene, 'sheep' herding, and some wildlife spotting down by the shore...
Marking the end of the bleak midwinter, Up Helly Aa is held annually on the last Tuesday in January. The festival pays homage to Norse ritual and Shetland's Viking heritage, though it's actually a fairly modern custom, dating to around 1881. Like other newsreel companies, Gaumont Graphic sought out regularly occurring events and calendar customs. But few could be more impressive than this one, beautifully filmed and brilliantly bizarre.
Related
Off the Map Off the Map
Sponsored film 1958 27 mins Location: Shetland Islands
Cruise on the steamer 'Meteor' for a magical 1950s journey to the wild and remote islands of Fair Isle, Shetland, Papa Stour, Foula, North Rona, St Kilda, Mingulay, Barra and Iona.
Gannets at Lerwick Gannets at Lerwick
Amateur film 1946 11 mins Silent Location: Lerwick
Visit Lerwick harbour in 1946, as a mass of gannets spectacularly dive bomb into the water. A breathtaking amateur film from Theo Kay with fishing boats, birds and Shetland magic.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.