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My name is Roseanne Osuji
I was born in Glasgow in have grown up and lived in the West End all of my life. My Grandparents are Irish and moved to Scotland around 60 years ago where they raised all of their children. Therefore my mum would regard herself as Scottish as she was born here and my father was from Nigeria in Africa. So it turns out I have a lot of diffrerent identities that I could adopt. I was brought up by my mum and my grandparents so I am extremely proud of my Irish and Scottish roots. My gran always speaks in her native Irish gaelic and we have a house in Donegal Ireland which we regularly visit.
I don't know as much much about my African roots as I do about my Irish ones but maybe that is something I will explore later on.
I am very proud to be Scottish and embrace the fact that many different cultures enabled me to be part of such an amazing country.

{NATIONAL IDENTITY IN SCOTTISH LITERATURE PP.ppt}
THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY: THE FLOWERING
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHERE SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL AND CULTURAL CONFIDENCE BEGAN TO EMERGE BUT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN EASILY. THERE WERE MANY FUEDS BETWEEN BARONS AND CROWN AND EACH KING HAD FIGHT TO GAIN THEIR POWER. RELATIONSHIPS WITH ENGLAND WERE RATHER QUIET AND ALTHOUGH THEY STILL HELD A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONTROL OVER SCOTLAND THEY WERE SHOWING SUPPORT TO THE LORDS OF THE ISLES. THE SCOTTISH CONNECTION WITH FRANCE WAS FAR MORE FRUITFUL AND MANY SCOTTSIH PEOPLE FOUGHT WITHIN EUROPEAN ARMIES FOR SUCH PEOPLE AS JOAN OF ARC. THIS LED SCOTTISH PEOPLE TO LEARN THE FRENCH LANGUAGE AND PARIS AIDED THE CIRRICULUM TAUGHT IN SCOTTISH EDUCATION AND ST ANDREWS, GLASGOW AND ABERDEEN UNIVERSITIES WERE ALL FOUNDED ALONG EUROPEAN LINES.
BY THE END OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY JAMES IV HAD SET UP THE FIRST CHAIR OF MEDICINE AT ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY IN THE WHOLE OF BRITAIN. HE ALSO PASSED THE RULE THAT ALL SONS OF BARONS AND LAND OWNERS WOULD ATTEND SCHOOL FROM THE AGE OF 8. IN 1507 HE ESTABLISHED WALTER CHEPMAN AND ANDREW MYLLAR AS PRINTERS IN EDINBURGH. A KEY POINT HER IS THAT THEY PUBLISHED POETRY BY HENRYSON AND DUNBAR AS WELL AS THE LEGENDS OF THE SAINTS AND ABERDEEN BREVIARY A HUGE PROJECT BY BISHOP ELPHINSTONE WHO MADE IT IS JOB TO PRESERVE THE SCOTTISH FORM OF WORSHIP AGAINST ENGLISH INFLUENCE – THUS KEEPING OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY
NEARING THE 2ND HALF OF THE CENTURY SCOTLAND HAD REACHED A GREATER LEVEL OF PEACE WITH ENGLAND AND THIS HAD LED TO MORE WEALTH AND INFLUENCE. ROYAL BURGHS IN SCOTLAND COULD SEND PEOPLE TO PARLIAMENT AND SCOTALND BEGAN TRADING WITH COUNTRIES IN EUROPE FURTHER ENHANCING THEIR ALREADY GROWING CULTURAL STANCE. SCOTLAND WAS GROWING IN ARCHITECTURE, CULTURAL STANCE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH IT’S NEIGHBOURS. A TIME OF WAR AND UNCERTAINTY SEEMED TO BE A THING OF THE PAST AND SCOTLAND WAS LOOKING LIKE IT WAS ON A NEW PATH WITH A MUCH BRIGHTER FUTURE. THIS IS WHY THIS TIME IS REFERRED TO AS THE FLOWERING AS IT REFLECTS THE ATTRACTIVE GROWTH OF SCOTLAND THROUGHOUT THIS TIME.
EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCOTTISH LITERATURE
DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE 15TH CENTURY SAW THE EMERGENCE OF SOME OF THE GREATEST SCOTTISH LITERATURE THE COUNTRY HAS EVER KNOWN. DURING THIS TIME THERE WERE TWO POETS WHO STOOD OUT THE MOST AND THESE WERE ROBERT HENRYSON AND WILLIAM DUNBAR. WILLIAM DUNBAR’S POEMS ACTUALLY GO BACK TO THE 1500’S BUT WERE POPULAR THROUGHOUT THIS TIME. RODERICK WATSON SAID OF THE TWO AUTHORS IN HIS BOOK,
“THE SURFACE GORGEOUSNESS OF DUNBARS POEMS CONTRASTS WITH THE WILDER AND MORE BRUTAL EXTRAVGANCE OF HIS IMAGINATION, AND THESE, IN TURN, PLAY AGAINST A DARKER AND MORE SINGULAR SPIRIT OF PESSIMISM. DUNBAR SPEAKS OF THE PRODIGALITY OF THE COURT LIFE AND HE ALWAYS SPEAKS OF HIMSELF. HENRYSON, ON THE OTHER HAND HAS A BROADER AND LESS SELFISH NATURE, A MATURE COMPASSION FOR THE SPIRITUAL PLIGHT OF MAN AND A PRACTICAL SYMPATHY FOR THE COMMON FOLK.
USE OF LANGUAGE IN SCOTTISH LITERATURE
ALAN BOLD DISCUSSES IN HIS BOOK THAT THE SCOTS USE THEIR LANGUAGE AS A WEAPON. THEY CHOOSE WHETHER TO WRITE IN ENGLISH, SCOTS OR GAELIC AS A MATTER OF SEPERATION. THIS AGAIN LINKS IN WITH THE SCOTLANDS NATIONAL IDENTITY AS AUTHORS CAN CHOOSE TO HOLD ON TO A LANGUAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PAST THAT CAN EXCLUDE OTHERS. DURING THE 17TH CENTURY THE SCOTTISH GAELIC LANGUAGE WAS BEGINNING TO BECOME LESS COMMON.THE LANGUAGE WAS THOUGHT TO BE UN ATTTRACTIVE AND UNPLEASING TO THE EAR SO MEMBERS OF THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT WERE BEGINNING TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THROUGHOUT LITERATURE THOUGH MANY HAVE STILL USED THE GAELIC LANGUAGE AS A FORM OF POWER AND AS BOLD PUTS IT AS A WEAPON TO GO AGAINST THIS IDEA THAT THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS UNATTRACTRIVE. THIS AGAIN ALLOWED THE SCOTS TO KEEP A SENSE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY WITHIN THEIR LITERATURE WHEN USING FULL OR LIGHT SCOTTISH GAELIC WITHIN LITERATURE. THIS MADE SCOTTISH GAELIC SAFE AND ROMANTIC ALLOWING PEOPLE TO REMINISCE TO THE PAST.
THE UNION 1707
DURING THE 18TH CENTURY SAW A LANDMARK MOVE IN SCOTLAND AS WE KNOW IT. THE ACTS OF UNION WAS PASSED ON THE 1ST OF MAY 1707 WHICH SAW THE MERGER OF BOTH THE ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTS TO FORM THE NOW KNOWN UNITED KINGDOM. THE PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM MET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR. THIS FOR MANY PUT AN END TO THE STRONG AND INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND. PEOPLE FELT THAT WE WERE NOW RUN BY ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND WAS IN DANGER OF LOSING ITS IDENTITY. THIS PROMPTED THE EMERGENCE OF THE VARIOUS FORMS OF WRITING SUCH AS THE KAILYARD AND TARTANRY WHICH FOCUS ON THE PAST NOSTALGIC TIMES OF SCOTLAND BEFORE THE UNION IN 1707. THIS WAS REFLECTED THROUGHOUT VARIOUS WRITINGS IN LATER YEARS BY MANY AUTHORS IN A BID TO MAINTAIN A SCOTTISH NATIONAL IDENTITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES FROM SCOTTISH AUTHORS AT HOW THIS WAS DONE.
KEY 19TH CENTURY SCOTTISH NOVELISTS - SIR WALTER SCOTT
DURING THE 19TH CENTURY SCOTLAND HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY INDUSTRIALISED AFTER THE UNION OF 1707. THIS CENTURY ALSO SAW THE COLLAPSE OF THE CLAN STRUCTURE AND THIS LED TO THE EMMIGRATION OF SCOTTISH PEOPLE TO COUNTRIES LIKE CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. MANY OF OUR INTELLIGENT SCHOLARS MOVED TO ENGLAND DURING THIS TIME AND SOME FELT THAT SCOTLAND WAS LEFT WITH THE DEFORMED DISCOURSES OF TARTANRY AND THE KAILYARD. THROUGHOUT THIS TIME SIR WALTER SCOTT WAS A KEY NOVELIST PRODUCING THE WAVERLY NOVELS AND ROB ROY WHICH WAS LATER TURNED INTO A FILM WHICH WE ALL WATCHED. MANY FEEL HOWEVER THAT HE OFFERED A SELECTIVE VIEW OF SCOTLAND SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE TARTANRY AND KAILYARD. HE CREATED A LITERARY SCOTLAND THAT FOCUSED MORE ON THE IDEA OF ESCAPISM RATHER THAN THE TRUTH. MUCH OF HIS WRITING WAS INSPIRED BY MEMORY AND SET IN THE PAST. LOOKING AT THE FILM ROB ROY THIS THEORY SEEMS VERY APPARENT AS WE SEEN THE CLANS MEN IN KILTS, DRINKING WHISKEY AND FIGHTING AGAINST THE NASTY ENGLISH FOR THEIR HONOUR. THE BOOK DEPICTS A SIMILAR IF NOT HARSHER IMAGE.
KEY 19TH CENTURY SCOTTISH NOVELISTS – JM BARRIE
JM BARRIE WAS ALSO A KEY NOVELIST THROUGHOUT THE 19TH CENTURY. THE SCOTTISH WRITER IS WELL KNOWN FOR PENNING THE LEGENDARY PETER PAN BUT HE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OTHER LITERATURES MORE SCOTTISH FOCUSED. A MORE SCOTTISH FOCUSED BOOK THAT JM BARRIE WROTE WOULD BE AULD LICHT IDYLLS, A STORY THAT IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN BASED AROUND THE SCOTTISH VILLAGE BARRIE GREW UP ON. IT FOCUSES ON A YOUNG MAN WHO FALLS IN LOVE WITH AN INTELLIGENT GYPSY GIRL WHO LATER TURNS OUT TO BE NOBLE WOMAN WHO IS ENLISTED TO HELP SMOOTH THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN REBELLIOUS WEAVERS AND AUTHORITIES IN 1840’S SCOTLAND. JUST FROM THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK WE CAN ALREADY SEE THE IDEAS OF A SMALL VILLAGE, WHERE ROMANCE OCURRS BUT IT IS SET TO BE RUINED BY THE AUTHORITIES AND CONTROLS THAT WERE IN PLACE DURING THAT TIME. AUTHORITIES AND CONTROLS WHICH WERE PRIMARILY RUN BY ENGLAND. THE LANGUAGE AND TERMANOLOGY USED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK ARE ONCE AGAIN IMMERSED IN THE IDEAS OF THE KAILYARD AND TARTANRY AND WE GET A FEELING AGAIN OF NOSTALGIA AND LONGING FOR THE PAST.
THE EVOLUTION OF SCOTTISH LITERATURE
BECAUSE OF SUCH GREAT NOVELISTS AS THE TWO I HAVE JUST MENTIONED IT PAVED THE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO COPY AND FOLLOW SUIT. FOR MANY YEARS SCOTLAND WAS IMMERSED IN ITS OWN LONGING OF THE PAST AND IDEAS Of DOMESTICY, DECENCY, HUMOUR, NOBILITY AND ROMANTICISM. SCOTTISH LITERATURE WAS CAUGHT UP THINKING ABOUT HOW RURAL SCOTLAND USED TO BE AND THERE DIDN’T SEEM TO BE MUCH REPRESENTATION OF HOW SCOTLAND WAS NOW. NATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD LOVED THIS IDEALISTIC VIEW OF SCOTLAND – THE HARD DONE BY COUNTRY WHO NEVER GIVE UP WITH OUT A FIGHT. THE DECENT AND HONEST SCOTLAND. HARD WORKING AND NOBLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR PEOPLE AND WILL FIGHT TOGETHER FOR A CAUSE. THIS WAS THE NATIONAL IDENTITY THAT SEEMED TO BE CONTINUOUSLY PORTRAYED IN SCOTTISH LITERATURE THAT WAS NOW HITTING PEOPLE WORLD WIDE. WHILE THERE WERE MANY ELEMENTS OF TRUTH IN THE WRITINGS PRODUCED BY THESE GREAT SCOTTISH NOVELISTS THERE WERE ALSO MANY MYTHS. THE MODERN REALITY OF SCOTLAND COULD NOT BE MUCH FURTHER FROM THE KAILYARD AND TARTANRY IDEAS IN LITERATURE.
CLYDESIDEISM IN MODERN SCOTTISH LITERATURE
AS TIME GREW ON AND SCOTLAND CHANGED THROUGH THE AGES PEOPLE SEEMED TO BE LOSING THEIR REAL SENSE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY. BEING SO CAUGHT UP IN THE PAST DID NOT LEAVE MUCH TO GO ON IN THE FUTURE. WHEN THE INDUSTRIALISM IN SCOTLAND BEGAN TO SLOW MANY PEOPLE WERE OUT OF WORK AND JOBS AND IT SEEMED SCOTLAND WAS SINKING INTO DEPRESSION. DURING THE 1970’S AND 1980’S A GROUP OF SCOTTISH CRITICS DECIDED TO CHALLENGE THE IDEAS OF THE TARTANRY AND KAILYARD SAYING THAT THEY ONLY SERVED TO PROVIDE MYTHICAL IDEAS OF SCOTLAND. IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS THAT THEY PUT FORWARD THE IDEA OF CLYDESIDEISM WHICH HAS CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS POVERTY, ALCOLHOLISM, VIOLENCE, OPPRESSION AND THE WORKING CLASS. ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN CLYDESIDEISM ARE VERY APPEALING FOR SCOTLAND IT WAS A TRUER REPRESENTATION OF THE NATION THAT WE NOW LIVED IN AND MANY FELT THIS NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED IN MODERN LITERATURE.
MODERN LITERATURE – TRAINSPOTTING
TRAINSPOTTING WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1993 AND WAS WRITTEN BY SCOTTISH AUTHOR IRVINE WELSH. THIS WAS THE WRITERS FIRST NOVEL AND WAS BASED IN THE LATE 1980’S. THE STORY FOLLOWED THE LIVES OF 6 EDINBURGH RESIDENTS WHO ENGAGE IN DESTRUCTIVE ANTICS THE MOST PROMINENT BEING HEROIN ADDICTION. THE BOOK LOOKS AT DRUGS, THEFT, SEX AND VIOLENCE IN QUITE A GRAPHIC AND OPEN WAY. THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK ARE DEPCTED AS LIVING IN POVERTY IN RUN DOWN PARTS OF EDINBURGH HAVING TO THIEVE AND BEG TO FUND THEIR HEROIN ADDICTION. IN PART OF THE BOOK THE MAIN CHARACTER TALKS ABOUT HOW BEING PART OF SCOTLAND DOESN’T MAKE HIM PROUD HOW THE SCOTTISH ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH AND THE LOWEST OF THE LOW. MANY OF YOU WILL PROBABLY REMEMBER THIS SPEECH THAT WAS DEPICTED WITHIN THE FILM ADAPTATION OF THE NOVEL BY DANNY BOYLE. THIS DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME REPRESENTATION OF SCOTLAND AS BARRIE AND SCOTT’S NOVELS DID. YES IT STILL SHOWS SCOTLAND IN POVERTY BUT A FAR WORSE POVERTY THAN BEFORE. PEOPLE AREN’T ALL WORKING TOGETHER MAKING THE MOST OUT OF THINGS. SCOTALND IS DEPICTED AS BEING SO DETACHED THAT IT HAS PEOPLE TURNING TO HEROIN. THERE IS NO SENSE OF NOBILITY OR NATIONAL PRIDE. THE CHARACTERS WITHING TRAINSPOTTING WILL LIE, CHEAT AND STEAL TO FUND AN ADDICTION.
MODERN SCOTTISH LITERATURE IAN RANKIN
IAN RANKIN IS A WELL KNOWN SCOTTISH CRIME WRITER AND HAS WRITTEN MANY NOVELS BASED AROUND GLASGOW IN SCOTLAND. HIS INSPECTOR REBUS SERIES WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1987 AND GREW TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS TURNING INTO A TELEVISION SERIES ON ITV. THE AUTHORS BOOKS ARE CRIME FOCUSED AND THE INSPECTOR REBUS SERIES WAS BASED IN THE CITY OF EDINBURGH. IT FOCUSED ON BRUTAL CRIMES THAT WERE COMITTED AND INVESTIGATED BY INPECTOR REBUS AND HIS TEAM. THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES NAMED KNOTTS AND CROSSES STARTS OFF TALKING ABOUT THE INSPECTOR BEING BACK IN HIS HOME TOWN OF FIFE WHERE HE HAS NO FOND MEMORIES, A PLACE WHERE VANDALS SCOURED THE STREETS AND WHERE THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO. ONCE AGAIN WITHIN THIS MODERN LITERATURE THERE IS NO GREAT SENSE OF PRIDE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY. RANKIN DESCRIBES HIS CHARACTER AS DISLIKING HIS HOMETOWN IN RURAL FIFE MUCH PREFERRING LIFE IN THE GRITTY CITY OF EDINBURGH.
MODERN SCOTTISH LITERATURE – JAMES KELMAN
ONE OF HIS MOST FAMOUS BOOKS WAS CALLED HOW LATE IT WAS HOW LATE. IT WAS BASED AROUND A CHARACTER NAMED SAMMY WHO WAKES UP IN A LANE ONE MORNING AFTER A 2DAY DRINKING BINGE. HE THEN GETS INTO A FIGHT WITH SOME POLICEMEN AND AFTER GETTING BEATEN UP BY THEM HE BECOMES BLIND. THE STORY GOES ON TO FOCUS ON WHAT HAPPENS TO SAMMY AFTER THIS. THE BOOK IS MAINLY WRITTEN IN SCOTTISH SLANG AND THERE IS A LOT OF SWEARING THROUGHOUT. IT IS ONCE AGAIN VERY HARSH AND REAL AND SHOWS ANOTHER CHARACTER FROM A WORKING CLASS BACKGROUND WITH AN ADDICTION AND A BROKEN FAMILY. THE CHARACTER HAS ALSO BEEN IN JAIL AND JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE MUCH GOING FOR HIM. ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE LOST THE IDEAS OF NOBILITY AND THE PRIDE IN FAMILY. THIS CHARACTER REALLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF AND NOT MUCH ELSE, CERTAINLY NOT NATIONAL IDENTITY.
MODERN SCOTTISH LITERATURE AS A WHOLE
OVERALL MODERN SCOTTISH LITERATURE MAY HAVE ADDRESSED THE REALISTIC ISSUES THAT SCOTLAND AS A NATION FACE BUT IT DOES BEGIN TO PORTRAY THE COUNTRY AS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE. MODERN SCOTTISH LITERATURE FOCUSES ON THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF LIVING IN SCOTLAND, THE GANG CULTURE, DRUG SCENE, CRIME, WEAPONS; PROSTETUTION ETC. IT CAN BE VERY HARD TO FIND ANYTHING POSITIVE ABOUT SCOTLAND WITHIN MODERN LITERATURE. THIS COULD BE SAID TO BE AIDING THE LOSS OF NATIONAL PRIDE AMONG THE SCOTS FOR THEIR COUNTRY. IT IS CLEAR THAT SCOTTISH LITERATURE HAS GONE THROUGH SOME DRASTIC CHANGES OVER THE YEARS. I DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TIME TO GO OVER AS MUCH AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED TODAY BUT THERE IS HONESTLY SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN THAT COULDN’T POSSIBLY BE COVERED IN HALF AN HOUR. FROM THE EARLY STAGES OF SCOTTISH LITERATURE WHERE THEY WROTE ABOUT THE TIMES THEY LIVED IN TO THE LITERATURE AFTER THE MERGER OF SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND WHICH FOCUSED ON PAST MEMORIES FOR A VERY LONG TIME. TO THE NOW GRITTY AND HARD HITTING VIEW WITHIN SCOTTISH LITERATURE WHERE A MODERN SCOTLAND IS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE. IT SEEMS THAT ALTHOUGH MODERN LITERATURE WAS SET TO REBEL AGAINST PAST IDEAS OF THE KAILYARD AND TARTANRY IT MAY NOT OFFER A BETTER ALTERNATIVE FOR OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY. IT IS TRUE THAT WE NO LONGER PARADE IN KILTS AND DANCE ALONG TO BAGPIPES AND MAYBE WE NEVER DID. BUT THESE PAST IDEAS OFFERED A BETTER FEELING FOR SCOTS THAN THE ONE THAT IS BEING PORTRAYED NOW. SCOTLAND CAN BE A NATION THAT FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO MOVE FORWARD AND SO FAR VERY FEW SCOTTISH LITERATURES HAVE ENABLED US TO DO THIS. WE ARE EITHER STUCK IN NOSTALGIC MEMORIES OF RURAL SCOTLAND OR IN THE IDEA THAT WE ARE TOO DANGEROUS A CITY TO PROGRESS. REGARDLESS OF ALL OF THIS WE AS A NATION HAVE A HISTORY AS IMPORTANT AS OUR PRESENT WHICH IS DOCUMENTED IN LITERATURES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THAT HELP SHAPE AND MOULD OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY IN BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WAYS.

www.culturalcommission.orgGaelicGaelic in trouble
The UK consensus of 2001 puts the number of Gaelic speakers at less than 60 000. They live mostly on the Outer Hebrides and the western Isles. However, despite a growing community in Glasgow and the central belt (The Independent), the language has been classified by UNESCO as “definitely endangered”. Historically, the problem of Gaelic is that the society of which it was the linguistic expression, the tribal life of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, doesn’t exist anymore. Just like this society, the language ceased to exist after the battle of Culloden in 1746 and was marginalized to the geographically outer edges of Scotland with the highland clearances. The biggest problem for the survival of Gaelic as a language nowadays, is that per year there are only 250 new Gaelic speakers whilst 1500 people die in that time. (www.culturalcommission.org)
Gaelic film and broadcasting funding
Eòrpa
Eòrpa is a 30-minute-long current affairs format on BBC Alba and BBC 2 Scotland (scheduled after a break for autumn 2010) that investigates Scottish as well as European issues. Eòrpa is an example of the Gaelic community being able to ‘make sense’ of the outside world. By applying the language to European issues, it shows that it is a language that also works outside of local and cultural parameters and attracts a wider audience than the number of people who actually speak Gaelic. This offers a chance for minority language media to portray the community outside of its borders.
in Riggins, 1992)
{file:///C:/Users/AGNESK%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png}1992} {file:///C:/Users/AGNESK%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png} {file:///C:/Users/AGNESK%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg} Gaelic
The very first Gaelic speaking feature film production was Hero (dir. Barney Platt-Mills, 1982).
In 1993 the first Gaelic language film As an Eilean -From the Island (dir. Mike Alexander) funded by the Comataidh Telebhisein Gaidhlig was released.

Gaelicwww.culturalcommission.orgGaelic in trouble
The UK consensus of 2001 puts the number of Gaelic speakers at less than 60 000. They live mostly on the Outer Hebrides and the western Isles. However, despite a growing community in Glasgow and the central belt (The Independent), the language has been classified by UNESCO as “definitely endangered”. Historically, the problem of Gaelic is that the society of which it was the linguistic expression, the tribal life of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, doesn’t exist anymore. Just like this society, the language ceased to exist after the battle of Culloden in 1746 and was marginalized to the geographically outer edges of Scotland with the highland clearances. The biggest problem for the survival of Gaelic as a language nowadays, is that per year there are only 250 new Gaelic speakers whilst 1500 people die in that time. (www.culturalcommission.org)
Gaelic film and broadcasting funding
The film was swiftly followed by Màiri Mhòr in 1994 (dir. Mike Alexander). It tells the story of Mairi MacDonald (later Macpherson) of Skye, who moved to Inverness where she was wrongly imprisoned by the (English-speaking) local authorities. In prison, she transfers her anger into songs about her upbringing on Skye and about historical events (predominantly the Highland clearances). One scene hears her saying, “I was here to make songs of the tragedy and joys of my people”. Although this quote shows the importance of preserving culture and heritage in songs, we find the well-known discourses of Tartanry and Kailyard attached to it.
Having strong notions of these discourses in some films portrays the highlander as backwards farmers who have are very emotional (anti-rational) and hate the English. In Màiri Mhòr some of these stereotypes are reiterated.
Seachd (dir. 2007)has2007) has much in in the photo beneath)trailer) and celebrate