{"id":952903,"date":"2026-05-11T15:49:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/952903\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:49:19","slug":"new-shetland-bus-films-to-be-screened-in-scalloway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/952903\/","title":{"rendered":"New Shetland Bus films to be screened in Scalloway"},"content":{"rendered":"

TWO NEW locally-produced films about the Shetland Bus will soon launch to coincide with Norway\u2019s 17th May Constitution Day celebrations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first film, Hearts Across the Sea, is a 30-minute documentary featuring three Shetland people with living memories of World War II \u2013 Lexie Watt, Tommy Isbister and Douglas Smith.<\/p>\n

The film tells the story of Shetland Bus operations during WW2 and includes footage of last year\u2019s local events marking eighty years since the war\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

The second piece, Hands Across the Hills, is a four-minute music film documenting Jan Baalsrud\u2019s 1943 escape from occupied Norway when a WW2 Shetland Bus mission goes badly wrong.<\/p>\n

The Shetland Bus memorial in Scalloway. Photo: SIC<\/p>\n

The film was shot in and around Troms\u00f8 last month by Jonathon Bulter to accompany a song which Claire White wrote in 2015.<\/p>\n

White\u2019s fiddle and vocals are accompanied by Robbie Leask of Lerwick on guitar.<\/p>\n

Production of Hearts Across the Sea was funded by Scalloway Museum and Salmon Scotland while Hands Across the Hills was backed by Zetland Educational Trust and private donations.<\/p>\n

Both films will premiere publicly at Shetland UHI\u2019s Scalloway campus on Wednesday 20 May from 7pm.<\/p>\n

It is hoped that both films will help today\u2019s audiences and future generations understand and appreciate this important chapter in Shetland\u2019s past.<\/p>\n

Free entry details will be shared by Scalloway Museum ahead of the event and attendees will hear directly from film-makers about production processes involved in addition to viewing both pieces on the big screen.<\/p>\n

After this launch event both films will be available to view online and circulated on social media.<\/p>\n

White said: \u201cJonathon Bulter and I feel privileged to have produced these two films over the past 12 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope they do justice to the astonishing bravery of all those involved in the Shetland Bus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shetland News<\/strong> is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:<\/p>\n