Hawk (2011)

During The Dark Ages, a young pagan boy Rowan (Steffan Thomas), is raised in the wilds of Wales by his grandfather, Gawain (Philip Madoc), and taught the ways of wilderness survival, and respect for Nature and its protector, The Antlered God (Barry Cockers, with Sain Evans providing its otherworldly voice).

However, when Gawain dies, leaving the lad alone, Rowan imbibes of the forbidden hallucinogenic mushroom drink that his grandfather consumed, looking for guidance and explanations in the spirit realm.

Instead, enraged and confused, he commits a heinous crime against the Antlered God and is charged with making recompense, initially adopting an orphaned fledgling hawk (apparently, correctly termed an eyas).

A couple of decades later, adult Rowan (Robert Gwyn Davin) and his hawk realise a pair of innocent worshippers of The Nailed God (ie. Christians) - Ruth (Joanna Maw) and Jack (Mark Charles) - have wandered into his part of the wildlands and are in danger of setting off his hunting traps.

He races to save them...

Coming in at just under 40 minutes duration, Hawk is a gorgeous-looking short film, from the evocative costuming to the stunning Welsh landscapes that make full use of a widescreen.

Massive kudos to cinematographer Martin Hill and costume designer Anna Kovacevic for giving Hawk such high calibre visuals.

The film was written and directed by M.J. McMahon with co-writer Alex McArdell.

Initially the narrative comes across as almost glacial in its progress, taking its time to lay out a montage of the everyday existence of young Rowan and his wise grandfather, and possibly relying a bit too much on voice-over.

However, once the plot hits its tipping point, events unravel at a much faster rate.

So much so that you might be slightly confused by the goings-on, but taking a holistic view of the pagan world as presented, in concert with Gawain's teachings, you will realise the story is ultimately about karma, restoring the balance of nature.

For those bothered by such things (including me), I have to warn you that there's a surprising amount of (simulated) animal death and harm in this short fantasy drama.

Connoisseurs of vintage British television (and particularly the classic era of Doctor Who) should check Hawk out as it's the last on-screen appearance of the legendary Philip Madoc.

I came across the film via the official Hawk The Slayer fan page on Facebook, not that it has any connection to that epic movie beyond the word "Hawk" in its title.

Released by British production company Capture, Hawk is available to purchase via a variety of platforms, although I went old school and ordered the Blu-Ray edition from them.

Not The Slayer, Nor The Hunter, Just Hawk

Hawk from CAPTURE on Vimeo.

The land holds many secrets, and one boy will learn them all.

When Rowan is taken away from the civilised world, his lessons in the wild begin.

Yet when he shatters the balance of nature, Rowan discovers another world beneath our own.

In that shadowy land of old gods and wild hunts, the divide between man and beast becomes uncertain and the fairy tales of childhood spring to life.

With only the guidance of a hunting hawk, Rowan must make amends for his crime, and choose between what is real, and what is not.

Since it's release in 2011, Hawk has picked up over 14 international award nominations, with 6 wins including ones at the Accolade Competition, TOHorror Film Festival, ShockerFest and Idyllwild Cinemafest.

Writer/director M.J. McMahon's 40-minute short film Hawk was the last onscreen appearance of the late Philip Madoc of classic Doctor Who fame (as well as many other credits to his name, stretching back to the early 1960s).

Although it has no connection with my favourite Dungeons & Dragons movie, I first came across mention of this enigmatic entry in the annals of fantasy cinema on the Official Hawk The Slayer Facebook Group.

I suspect it will possibly be a triumph of atmosphere over story (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but look out for a review in due course.