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Feature The rise (and rise) of Welsh film and TV
It’s only been a year since our last feature on the film and TV industry in Wales, but a lot can happen in that time: from S4C landing a major Netflix distribution deal to hit Channel 4 dramas, Rhiannon Farr surveys the recent past, present and looks to the future of Welsh film and TV.
With the recent milestone of S4C’s Dal Y Mellt being sold to, and distributed by, Netflix – the first solely Welsh-language show to air on the platform – it’s a good time to consider the re- cent momentum Welsh-made TV and film has gained. Worldwide audiences have picked up on productions in both English and Welsh, ones not merely filmed in Wales but which make their national identity clear.
The uptick in international recognition for Welsh-made dramas, documentaries and everything in between is a testament to the industry’s commitment to both quality and representation. Dedicated domestic produc- tion companies and homegrown storytellers to match have left Wales positioned to make an indelible mark on the global entertainment landscape.
One high-profile success that has spliced Wales and Hollywood is FX’s Welcome To Wrexham, streaming on Disney+. In 2020, ac- tors Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) bought Wrexham AFC, generating an instant torrent of publicity and a financial boost which gained the club promotion to the Football League at the end of the 2022-23 season. Wel- come To Wrexham follows McElhenney and Reynolds as they navigate the highs and lows of running a football club, likewise the lives of Wrexham’s players.
Distributed via Disney+, the documentary has put Wrexham on the map – Wales itself in many cases, you’d imagine – for its global au- dience, with McElhenney and Reynolds both learning Welsh to boot. The attendant media circus can’t be ignored, either: in the last cou- ple of years the north Wales city has been visit-
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and inclusive move warmly received by Welsh viewers.
The Welsh film and TV scene has widened in recent years – what once was just a set for oth- er productions has evolved into homegrown creations that have been distributed across the globe. The Feast (Gwledd in Welsh), available on Amazon Prime Video, is a Welsh-language horror film given UK-wide and American dis- tribution; filmed in Powys, it features an entire- ly Welsh cast.
The Light In The Hall
The Light In The Hall (Welsh title: Y Go- lau) is another glowing example of the native language in media. This bilingual Channel 4 drama was largely filmed in Carmarthenshire, with some parts shot in the Tywi Valley and Cardiff; it follows the aftermath of a young woman’s disappearance, focusing on the vic- tim’s grieving mother and the efforts of a jour- nalist trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. Brian And Charles, a comedy set and filmed in rural north Wales, achieved global acclaim after its screening at Sundance Film Festival in 2022. The film follows a lonely inventor who creates a primitive artificially-intelligent companion, somewhat like a modern-day Pi- nocchio.
ed by Hollywood actors, including Paul Rudd and McElhenney’s Always Sunny co-stars. When Reynolds starred in 2021’s Red Notice, alongside Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson, he also requested Welsh subtitles be provided for the film’s release on Netflix. As a result, Red Notice (which otherwise has no Wales-related content) became the first item on the platform to be subtitled in the language, an accessible
As mentioned previously, many a production found itself filming in Wales, and if not all necessarily sought to represent their host’s cul- ture, it all contributed to a burgeoning degree of global recognition. Perhaps the most iconic TV show to come out of Wales is Doctor Who, plus its spinoff Torchwood: since its revival in 2005, nearly every episode has been shot somewhere in the country, and boosted Wales’ TV industry. With landmark Welsh locations and various historical sites often featuring on-
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