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The Hermit of Treig review – a tender portrayal of a gentle Highlands recluse
As much about Ken Smith’s connection to his natural surroundings as the man himself, this documentary will have its audience falling in love with both
Winner of the audience award at this year’s Glasgow film festival, Lizzie MacKenzie’s tender documentary debut about the simplicities of life far from so-called civilisation proves especially poignant in our hyper-connected time. Ken Smith, the “hermit of Treig”, has spent the past 40 years living alone in the wilderness, outside Kinlochleven in the Scottish Highlands. Such a lifestyle may be unusual, but Smith is far from an eccentric recluse; he is a gentle soul with a moving appreciation for his environment. Just as how he talks to his roses as they grow, Smith believes that when human beings care for Mother Nature, she will provide us with all that we need.
The life of a hermit demands a lot of hard work. Smith fishes for food, forages for vegetables and chops his own wood; all of this is no small feat for a man who is now in his 70s. In the cabin that he built himself, there is no electricity – or indeed any sign of technology except for a small GPS device he can use to pick up weather reports. The gadget comes in handy when Smith suffers a stroke, and he can send a signal to emergency services. Suddenly, the film’s soundscape of babbling brooks and rustling trees is interrupted by the ominous sound of helicopter blades, as Smith is taken to the hospital.
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