A short film exploring the life of Wilf Davies, a 74-year-old Ceredigion sheep farmer, has won a Welsh BAFTA.
The documentary film, Heart Valley, released in 2022, explored Wilf’s daily life in Cellan near Lampeter, tending to his flock of sheep, and eating the same meal everyday - two pieces of fish, an onion, an egg, baked beans and biscuits.
The film was written by Kiran Sidhu, who moved to Cellan from London and made friends with the over 70 year old man.
Kiran already felt ‘remarkable recognition’ when the film was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru award, she ‘couldn’t believe it’ when it was announced that Heart Valley won.
She said: “Just being nominated is such a big deal, I remember thinking at the time that even if we didn’t win we had already been given remarkable recognition. I couldn’t believe it when we won.
“In a materialistic consumer world, it makes me really happy that a film which is so simple and wholesome won such a prestigious award. I find that really encouraging.
“We obviously tapped into something. The story is so honest and intriguing, it goes against everything we think we need. We think we need things, variety and all sorts to find happiness - we really mystify it, but here is someone who goes completely in the face of that, someone who has happiness in what he’s got.
The BAFTA Cymru award ceremony took place on Sunday 15 October in Newport, for Kiran, the whole night was ‘surreal.’
“The whole night was so surreal, in the car on the way there I was thinking ‘how did this happen?’ I couldn’t believe that such a humble story which all came about because I went for a walk and asked a farmer what he was having for dinner, would lead to us being at the BAFTAs.”
The award comes only a year after the film won Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2022.
The Cambrian News caught up with Wilf earlier this year to ask if fame had changed him.
Despite the recognition, Wilf has stuck to his neck of the woods, and he continues to peacefully farm his flock of Plynlimon Speckle Sheep.
As portrayed in the film, Wilf sticks to the same daily routine, even eating the same meal every day for the last decade, which is two pieces of fish, an onion, an egg, baked beans and biscuits.
When asked about the daily meal, Wilf said: “I like living the same life, it’s good for me.”
One thing has changed since the making of the film is the addition of a lemon treacle cake, brought to him by Kiran.
You can watch the film documentary online through BBC iPlayer.