Lana Beaton talks about her Gaelic film which tackles transgender issues.

Lana Beaton from the Isle of Skye, a previous student of SMO and now studying BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen at Edinburgh Napier University,  had an exceptional evening winning three prizes at the FilmG Awards – including Best Performance and Best Student Film – for her film ‘Coig Puing a Trì’.  She also made it onto three short lists and won the People’s Choice award as voted by the public on the FilmG website.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Alumni: Lana Beaton (Gàidhlig is Conaltradh, ’14)

We caught up with Lana to ask her a few questions about her film and her plans for future projects:

Tell us a bit about your film, your part in the making of the film and your choice of subject.

‘Coig Puing a Trì’ is about a transgender woman who is preparing to tell her sister. We see different events, with three different people, and how people interact with her. I wrote the script, directed and starred in the film – a bit self-indulgent! Last year I saw many different pieces of theatre which dealt with this subject and they were all very powerful. I’m so happy that these topics are being more widely represented now. I think that we should be speaking about subjects like this, relevant to today’s society, in Gaelic as well. 

Do you think that there should be more themes of this type represented through media in Gaelic?

I definitely think that we should be speaking about themes of this sort in Gaelic. We don’t know who is going through something like this and it is important that people know, no matter who or where they’re from, that there are people there to support them.

What are your aspirations for the future?

I want to keep working in both Gaelic and English. First and foremost I want to be an actor, but once I’ve got a bit more life experience, I will have more confidence in writing also. I think that is where I see myself in 10 – 15 years.

Do you have any advice for young people who are interested in film/drama?

Just do it! You won’t learn anything without trying. If you want to do acting then just go for it. The technology is there, you can even make a film on a mobile phone. Head on out to the theatre and the cinema as often as you can, even if you don’t enjoy a show, I’m sure you will learn something from it.