The Edge of the World + Return to the Edge of the World+ Intro

The Edge of the World was Michael Powell’s first real solo project taking him to Foula, a remote Scottish island, to craft this romantic tale of love and community. Visually stunning, with a real sense of location. Powell the auteur had arrived. Forty years later, the director and actors revisit the island and talk about their experiences in Return to the Edge of the World.

The Edge of the World 

Dir Michael Powell/GB 1937/75 mins  

Niall MacGinnis, Belle Chrystall, John Laurie 

Powell’s first real solo project took him to Foula, a remote Scottish island, to craft this romantic tale of love and community. Visually stunning, with a real sense of location. Powell the auteur had arrived.  

Return to the Edge of the World  

Dir Michael Powell/GB 1979/24 mins 

This featurette sees Powell return to Foula in 1978 with John Laurie and gives a fascinating insight into the origins and production of The Edge of the World. As Laurie says, their pilgrimage to the bleak, beautiful, rocky isle wasn’t just another shoot but “an experience that changed all our lives”. 

Screening as part of Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell + Pressburger, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. 

Event/ This screening will be introduced by Andrew Moor, Reader in Cinema History at MMU.