The touching story of Sol is to premiere in the UK on ALBA
Sol – an inspiring film about a little boy’s journey through grief – premieres in the UK and Republic of Ireland on the darkest night of the year, the Winter Solstice – Monday 21 December.
The animated, 28-minute film, which will be shown on BBC ALBA in Scotland, aims to bring light and comfort to families with young children as the darkest year in modern times draws to a close.
Featuring a boy called Sol whose world is plunged into darkness when his beloved grandmother dies, the film explores the different aspects of grief (shock, yearning, disorientation and resolution) through the eyes of a child.
The film has been created as a vital and relevant resource to help children and families cope with grief and is especially poignant after such a difficult year nationwide.
It is hoped the storyline and characters will help spark conversations amongst teachers, parents and young children about how to manage your feelings after the death of a loved one.
Recognising the need nationwide for such a topical film, multiple TV broadcasters have come together to premiere Sol across seven platforms on the same day.
Originally commissioned by regional broadcasters as a Celtic-language film in Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Sol will also be broadcast with English subtitles to a national audience.
Gaelic singer and actress Anna Murray voices Sol’s grandmother (while Emmy award-winning Irish actor, Fionnula Flanagan voices the English language version) and Gaelic singer Ellen MacDonald voices Sol’s mother.
Sol was created and produced by Belfast-based children’s TV production company Paper Owl Films, with the Gaelic version for BBC ALBA created by Obh! Obh! Studios in Stornoway.
Bill MacLeod, Commissioning Editor at MG ALBA, which operates BBC ALBA in partnership with the BBC, said: “Sol is very much a film for our times – but it also taps into an older strand in Celtic tradition in which the changes in the seasons and the turning of the year have a deep significance. I’m sure that this beautiful and wise programme will bring a little light into all our lives.”
Sol was commissioned by Celtic broadcasters TG4, S4C and BBC ALBA and distributed by Aardman. It received funding from the British Film Institute’s Young Audiences Content Fund.