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Fact vs. Fiction: Film Explores Identity Crisis
26 Jan
Summary
- Film premieres at International Film Festival Rotterdam.
- Explores how fantasy overshadows local history and identity.
- Director inspired by real-life gravestone inscription.

The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, writer-director Seán Dunn's debut feature, is set to premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on January 30th. The film stars Peter Mullan as Kenneth, a tour guide in a fictional Scottish village. Kenneth's identity is tied to local mythology surrounding Sir Douglas Weatherford, an 18th-century inventor.
Kenneth's world is disrupted when a popular fantasy TV series begins filming nearby, bringing cosplaying fans and overshadowing the village's historical narrative. This forces Kenneth to confront his own beliefs and the shifting perceptions of history and identity.
Dunn was inspired by a visit to Edinburgh, where he learned a gravestone inscription for Thomas Riddle was linked to Harry Potter lore, eclipsing the man's actual history. This sparked questions about how fantasy can overwrite factual narratives.




