A DOCUMENTARY which follows a day in the life of a Lampeter shepherd that gained international acclaim at an American film festival is to be aired on television this evening.

Heart Valley won Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca 2022 film festival in New York and is to be broadcast in the UK for the first time on BBC Two Wales on Tuesday, 26 July at 7pm, and will be available on BBC iPlayer.

Heart Valley follows a day in the life of Wilf Davies, a shepherd from the small village of Cellan.

The film was born after an article in The Guardian told Wilf’s story. Growing up in Wales, Wilf spent his boyhood helping his family on their farm.

“I have never wanted to run away from it, even as a young lad. This valley is cut in the shape of my heart. I once visited a farm in England, about 30 years ago: that was the only time I left Wales.”

Wilf’s perspective on life struck a chord with film-maker Christian Cargill in the height of lockdown.

Wilf has never left his valley, eats the same meal every day of “two pieces of fish, one big onion, an egg, baked beans and a few biscuits”.

He works his farm alone, where his family of over one hundred black-spotted sheep rely on him.

And yet, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Although faced with a rapidly changing farming community, Wilf’s inquisitive attitude and connection to nature provoke big questions about what it is people should truly value.

It is the first film directed by London-based Christian Cargill, with music composed by Scottish multi-instrumentalist Erland Cooper.

Speaking about the documentary after it scooped the award at the Tribecca Film Festival, Christian said: “I think for a lot of people that spent lockdowns in cities, Wilf’s story really touched on that yearning to disconnect.”

“I remember first reading the piece and finding it inspiring, unconventional and deeply heartfelt. “Two weeks on, I realised I was still thinking about this shepherd I’d never met called Wilf and in that moment, I knew it was a story I wanted to explore, to find out more about this man and his life.”

If you missed the airing on Tuesday evening, Heart Valley can be viewed here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0019q58/heart-valley