大象传媒

Dhaibhsan aig a bheil 霉idh ann an dualchas nan Gaidheal agus ann am fiolmaichean, bha a鈥� bhliadhna naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a ceithir (1934) gu math ainmeil. Chan e d矛reach gu bheil a鈥� bhliadhna sin ceangailte ri aon fiolm a thog aire an t-saoghail mh貌ir do na Gaidheil, ach ri d脿 fiolm. Bha fear dhiubh air a dh猫anamh ann an coimhearsnachd Ghaidhealach ann an Alba, agus fear eile anns an aon se貌rsa de choimhearsnachd ann an Eirinn.

Tha cuimhn鈥� a鈥檓 fhathast air a鈥� chiad turas a chunnaic mi Man of Aran, fiolm a rinneadh anns na h-Eileanan Arainneach air taobh siar na h-Eireann, agus 鈥檚 e am p脿irt as motha a tha a鈥� fuireach nam chuimhne 鈥� far a bheil gille ag iasgach bho na creagan m貌ra ann an Inis M贸r, agus e na shuidhe na ceudan troighean os cionn na mara.

Bha rudeigin ann mu dheidhinn a fiolm a ghlac m鈥� aire gu m貌r, agus chuir mi roimhe dhol do na h-eileanan sin uair neo uaireigin. Tha mi air a bhith ann grunn tursan a-nise, anns a h-uile gin de na tr矛 eileanan, agus 鈥檚 e 脿iteachan air leth a th鈥� annta uile. Agus 鈥檚 i Gaeilge c脿nan nan eileanach chun an l脿 an-diugh.

鈥橲 e fear Raibeart Flathartaigh, a rugadh anns na St脿itean Aonaichte, a rinn Man of Aran, c貌rr is deich bliadhna as d猫idh dha fiolm ainmeil a dh猫anamh anns an Arctaic, air an robh Nanook of the North. Chuir e seachad d脿 bhliadhna ann an Inis M贸r agus, ged a bha 霉idh aige ann an d貌igh-beatha nan eileanach, cha robh e airson a bhith cus ro fhaisg鈥� air a sin e fh猫in. Thug e c貌caire cordon bleu leis, agus thuirt fear de mhuinntir an 脿ite mu dheidhinn, 鈥渢ha barrachd air a thilgeil a-mach 脿s an taigh aige 鈥� na bheireadh biadh don d脿rna cuid de bhailtean an eilein鈥︹��

Dh鈥檉hosgail Man of Aran ann an Lunnainn anns a鈥� Ghiblean naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a ceithir (1934), agus tha e coltach gun tug am fiolm buaidh air fear aig an robh 霉idh mh貌r ann an d貌igh-beatha nan Eilean Siar, agus a bha an s脿s ann an rannsachadh sgoilearach air taighean dubha air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd Albannaich. Beagan seachdainean as d猫idh do Man of Aran nochdadh, bha Werner Kissling ann an sgoth far cladach an iar na h-Alba, air a shlighe a dh鈥橢irisgeidh.

Bha Kissling na bhall de dh鈥檜aislean na Gearmailt, ach th脿inig e a Bhreatainn agus bha e an s脿s ann an rannsachadh air seann chultaran as leth Oilthigh Chambridge. Cha robh e ann an Eirisgeidh cho fada 鈥檚 a bha Flathartaigh ann an Inis M贸r 鈥� nas lugha na d脿 mh矛os 鈥� agus cha robh am fiolm aige, A Poem of Remote Lives, cho m貌r neo cho ainmeil ri Man of Aran.

Ach sheall e d貌igh-beatha muinntir Eirisgeidh gu math, agus tha e am measg nan cl脿ran as pr矛seil鈥� a th鈥� againn de sheann bheatha nan Gaidheal ann an Alba 鈥� mus robh an dealan ann, neo cus dhen Bheurla air bilean an t-sluaigh. Nochd A Poem of Remote Lives ann an Lunnainn anns a鈥� Ghiblean naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1935), cha mh貌r bliadhna chun an l脿 bho bha Man of Aran air a chur air bhog.

Agus tha smuain agam. Nach biodh e math an d脿 fiolm a chur air chuairt c貌mhla air Gaidhealtachd na h-Eireann is Gaidhealtachd na h-Alba, cuide ri seinneadairean is luchd-ci霉il 脿s gach 脿ite, mar chomharra air an dl霉th-cheangal eadar an d脿 dh霉thaich, a th鈥� ann an-diugh agus a bh鈥� ann ri linn Werner Kissling 鈥� agus airson co-dhi霉 m矛le gu leth bliadhna mus robh guth air a鈥� chamara.

Faclan na seachdaine: na h-Eileanan Arainneach: the Aran Islands; an Giblean: April; sgoth: yacht; Eirisgeidh: Eriskay; an dealan: electricity.

Abairtean na seachdaine: dhaibhsan aig a bheil 霉idh: to those who are interested; 鈥檚 e am p脿irt as motha a tha a鈥� fuireach nam chuimhne: the part which most remains in my memory; far a bheil gille ag iasgach bho na creagan m貌ra: where a lad is fishing from the cliffs; a ghlac m鈥� aire gu m貌r: which strongly caught my attention; chuir mi roimhe dhol ann uair neo uaireigin: I decided to go there someday; anns a h-uile gin de na tr矛 eileanan: in every one of the 3 islands; chun an l脿 an-diugh: to the present day; cha robh e airson a bhith cus ro fhaisg air a sin e fh猫in: he didn鈥檛 want to be too close to that himself; na bheireadh biadh don d脿rna cuid de bhailtean an eilein: than would give food to half of the island鈥檚 villages; gun tug am fiolm buaidh air X: that the film had an effect on X; a bha an s脿s ann an rannsachadh sgoilearach air taighean dubha: who was engaged in scholarly research on black houses; bha X na bhall de dh鈥檜aislean na Gearmailt: X was a member of the German aristocracy; am measg nan cl脿ran as pr矛seile a th鈥� againn: among the most valuable records we have; bho bha X air a chur air bhog: from the launch of X; mus robh guth air a鈥� chamara: before the camera existed.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: ceangailte ri aon fiolm a thog aire an t-saoghail mh貌ir: linked to one film which attracted the world鈥檚 attention. Note that the word fiolm (sometimes spelled film), which obviously derives from the English, is not inflected as one might expect here. For example, we would say 鈥檚 e sin an aon fhear a bh鈥� agam an-d猫 (that is the same one as I had yesterday), with fear lenited to fhear because of the presence of aon. Similarly, we would say b鈥檈 sin an aon chaibideil (that was the same chapter), with caibideil lenited. In theory, we should do the same to fiolm and say aon fhiolm, but something stops most Gaelic speakers from leniting the word 鈥� mainly because it is a recent addition to the language and does not 鈥渂ed down鈥� comfortably within the grammatical rules. Don鈥檛 worry about such a disinclination to inflect 鈥� it is quite natural and it occurs, to a greater or lesser degree, with some other recent loan words, eg f貌n (phone) and faidhle (file). It also occurs with some non-traditional given names which do not comfortably lenite when addressing the person eg Sigmund, Sandra, Debbie. Note, however, with respect to lenition with 鈥渁on鈥�, that we say an aon duine (the same man) or an aon taigh (the same house) or an aon suidheachadh (the same situation), because of the refusal of 鈥渄鈥� or 鈥渢鈥� or 鈥渟鈥� sounds to lenite comfortably following an 鈥渘鈥�.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: na ceudan troighean os cionn na mara: hundreds of feet above the sea (note the use of the definite article in Gaelic).