Local Hero

Writer Director Bill Forsythe | 111mins | 1983

Introduced by David Puttnam

David Puttnam’s favourite film as Producer, is multi award winning ‘Local Hero’. His experience with the film and the feeling of community he experienced while shooting the film, led him to purchase his home in Skibbereen. Local Hero is a loving, funny, understated portrait of the small fictional village of Ferness on the west coast of Scotland. Texan oil billionaire Felix Happer played brilliantly by Burt Lancaster, gets the idea that Ferness would be a marvellous acquisition for his company, Knox Oil and Gas. Happer sends an executive named MacIntyre to purchase the town and surrounding property. Things do not go quite as expected. Bill Director Forsyth won the 1984 BAFTA Award for Best Direction.