A FILMMAKER has said those behind the highly anticipated Highlander reboot have the chance to “correct a 40-year oversight” by giving Scotland’s landscape its “own voice at last”.
Hollywood's Chad Stahelski has decided to return to the original 1986 film's roots by filming across a number of locations in the Isle of Skye and the Highlands, with scenes shot at the world-famous Old Man of Storr, Bride's Veil waterfall and Kilt Rock.
Starring the likes of Henry Cavill, Karen Gillan and Russell Crowe, the sci-fi fantasy follows the story of an immortal Scottish warrior battling his rival clansmen through a century of combat.
Originally starring Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert, the film picked up a cult following for its tale of how there can “only be one” Highlander and features a legendary soundtrack anchored by songs from rock royalty Queen.
However, after delving into Skye’s rich musical scene with his own documentary, which features the likes of Runrig’s Donnie Munro and Peter Morrison of the Peatbog Faeries, Kal Elhajoui has questioned why the original Highlander didn’t feature any artists from the island.
“We watched it again, and it's just really noticeable that there's no Scottish music in it,” he told the Sunday National.
“Even at that time, they would have had Runrig; they were huge in 1986, so it’s kind of like, OK, why didn't they do that?”
Elhajoui added: “My feeling is they just don't know it's here, which is a strange thing because for me, and I am new to it, as four years ago, I didn't know who Niteworks were or Valtos or anyone like that, but now I have learned about them, I'm like, that music really fits the film.
“It covers every single aspect of it, and there's something more important than that, and it’s kind of a lighthearted way of looking at it, but you wouldn't have a film called The American and not play any American music in it.
“It would be just mental.”
Elhajoui has lived in Skye for the last five years and has immersed himself in the island’s culture.
Admittedly, he said he didn’t know much about Scottish folk genre when he first arrived, but it wasn’t long until he learned about Skye’s rich musical heritage, as he became a regular attendee of live music nights across the island.
Elhajoui has since become an advocate for Skye’s musicians and launched his one-man campaign to get Skye’s music in the ears of the crew from Highlander.
“I did go around the island handing out flyers to the crew and stuff,” Elhajoui said as he invited them to a traditional folk music night at The Old Inn in Carbost.
“It's got the best music on a Thursday night,” he said.
“It's Peter Morrison from the Peatbog Faeries and Seamus, and it's just this amazing night of trad music, and I was like, well, they're in the islands, they should come to this.”
Elhajoui added that he even reached out to Crowe’s agent to try and get the Gladiator star to come along and witness first-hand music from some of Skye’s best-known folk exports.
He added: “I'm used to being rejected, so I don't mind giving it a go, really.”
The 55-year-old told the Sunday National the spark to push for Scottish music in Highlander came after he spent three years with Skye-based production company, Over The Bridge Films, documenting the importance and relevance of music to communities on the island.
Titled The Music That Holds Us, Elhajoui, along with Rapha Scott and Robert Miller, wanted their film to explore both the evolution of folk music and the cultural changes to the island’s communities over the last 50 years.
The trio interviewed celebrated musicians from the island in a bid to tell Skye’s folk stories paired with live performances at Celtic Connections, Skye Live, and a session hosted by BBC Young Trad Musician of the Year finalist Noah Scott.
“The first shoot we did was at Celtic Connections, at the Fruitmarket, and there were like 2500 to 3000 lunatics jumping up and down to the Peatbog Faeries,” Elhajoui explained.
“That was literally the first time I'd ever seen them live, but I was behind a camera, and we were just filming it, going, well, this is bigger than we thought it was going to be.
“It was just insane.”
Filming for The Music That Holds Us wrapped up just weeks ago after a successful crowdfunder raised more than £12,700 to get the project off the ground.
An important aspect for the film for the trio was that with the documentary being led by the community, with musicians recommending other artists to interview, capturing all the different aspects and nuances of Skye’s culture was just as important as the music.
Elhajoui explained: “When we first started shooting it, we weren't quite sure what the story was going to be.”
He added: “It was really important for us not to do, what we described as Skye porn. The postcard version, the shortbread tin.
“Skye's is a lot more complicated than that.”
Elhajoui said at first it was a bit harder to get people to agree to speak with them for the film, but when people realised they weren't trying to make a “pure tourist film”, they became a lot more accepting of their project.
“It was about a year and a half in before we started interviewing people in Gaelic, and again, that's a sensitive issue, inasmuch as you don't want outsiders telling you what their opinion is, and that's not what this is.
“It's quite realistic in discussing the housing issue, in discussing the dangers facing this culture, it's not represented and not even respected, which brings us back to Highlander.”
Having moved to England at just three years old after being born in Morocco, Elhajoui said learning about how Gaelic speakers have become a minority in Scotland and the loss of the language is something he can resonate with, as his own mother was told to stop using Arabic with him to help improve his English skills growing up.
“I feel that in my soul, the loss of your mother tongue is a horrific thing,” he said.
He added: “What’s happened that resonates with me in terms of this is a minority people who were the majority, but now they're the minority.
“The culture has been stripped away from them, and it resonates with a lot of minority groups all around the world.”
Over tourism is already a concern among locals in Skye, with many young people leaving the island and not being able to return due to a housing crisis, and Elhajoui anticipates the revamped Highlander will only draw “millions” more people to the area.
“I just see it as if you don't protect the culture, that's why people come here, they want to experience this culture, but if they don't understand that it needs protecting, then they're actually going to destroy it by visiting,” he said.
With just over 10,000 people on the island, he said it’s an incredible feat for Skye to produce so many great musicians, and largely attributed it to its community's way of life.
Elhajoui explained that the documentary explores themes of identity, inclusivity, housing, and the next generation, which are all integral to Skye’s music scene.
However, he added that he “can't overemphasise how integral the culture is, you can't have the music without the culture”.
Elhajoui said: “It's the Gaelic, it's the crofting, it's the lifestyle, and it all interweaves together.
“So if you're trying to make a documentary about music, and you don't discuss Gaelic, you're missing half the story.
“If you tell a story about the culture and you don't mention music, you're not even close to reality.”
With filming completed and the documentary in post-production, the filmmakers said they are in discussions with BBC Alba about screening the film on Skye.
“From day one, it has always been the case that we're taking it round to the halls,” Elhajoui said.
The filmmaker said the crew wanted to give back to those who helped create the documentary, and how community halls are a “vital cog” in the cultural life of Skye, so they are fitting venues to premiere the film in September.
Click here to learn more about The Music That Holds Us.
