Talking about Patagonia

There was a full house tonight at Fishguard's tiny Theatre Gwaun for a showing of the recent film Patagonia, followed by a question and answer session with two of the stars, the actor Matthew Rhys and the popular singer Duffy (right), both of whom have local connections.

The theatre (also a cinema) had its funding withdrawn last year and was threatened with closure but a community group has taken it over and is struggling to keep it afloat. Tonight's event was aimed at raising money for the enterprise. The venue is a much valued resource, alternative opportunities to see films and live entertainment being 15 miles away.

The film is unusual in being in Welsh and Spanish, with English subtitles. It involves two narrative strands, one about a Welsh couple on a trip to Patagonia and the other concerning a visit to Wales by two people from Patagonia. The link between them is Y Wladfa, the Welsh colony that was established in 1865 when settlers from Wales sailed to an unknown destination in Argentina in order to secure space and freedom to practice their language and their way of life without persecution. What they found was poor land, drought, hardship, floods and famine but they persevered and founded a settlement that still survives today.

The low-budget film is certainly no blockbuster but many people in the audience were moved by the historical and emotional connections between the old country and its distant outpost, while the awesome scenery of Chubut took me back to my own visit there ten years ago.

Here's hoping the theatre's bank balance has received a major boost!