FINIS TERRAE live score tours Scotland, 12–16 September

A restored silent film shaped by Brittany’s harsh Atlantic coast will arrive at five Scottish venues from 12 to 16 September 2026. The FINIS TERRAE Tour opens at Montrose Playhouse at 8.30pm on 12 September before visiting Dunkeld, Inverness, Dundee and Edinburgh.

The 80-minute film is rated U and open to the general public. Ticket prices, accessibility arrangements and transport guidance were not included in the Creative Scotland announcement. Cinetopia is handling booking through its website, although tickets for the final Filmhouse screening were still listed as coming soon.

Five Scottish screenings in five days

Each screening pairs Gaumont’s 4K restoration of Jean Epstein’s 1929 film with an original score performed live by Edinburgh-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Dan Abrahams and French drummer Philippe Boudot.

The opening event forms part of LandxSea, Scotland’s Environmental Film Festival. Its programme connects film with subjects affecting coastal communities, including marine protection, coastal erosion and rural traditions. Local caterers will also provide a seaweed tasting at the Montrose screening.

A struggle against the sea in 1920s Brittany

FINIS TERRAE follows four seaweed harvesters working on an isolated island off the coast of Brittany. After a quarrel between Ambroise and Jean-Marie, Ambroise develops an undetected poisoned wound and becomes feverish. Jean-Marie must then attempt a crossing through fog and turbulent water to reach a doctor on Ouessant.

Epstein filmed with local non-actors and used a documentary-like approach to depict the harvesters’ demanding existence. Experimental framing turns the island, sky and surrounding sea into central parts of the drama, shifting between beauty and menace as the men work among burning kelp pyres.

The Scottish run follows the production’s world premiere at the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival in March and a preview presented by Cinetopia Salon at the French Institute in Edinburgh.

An original score performed inside the cinema

Abrahams works across Edinburgh’s folk, jazz and contemporary classical scenes. His previous screen projects include music for the Scottish archive films ReDrawing Edinburgh and I Ken Whaur I’m Gaun, while his recent work has included the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s Film Composer Lab programme.

Boudot brings influences ranging from jazz, rock and funk to Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and electroacoustic music. His performances combine acoustic drumming with sampling, and his collaborations have included Clara Ysé, Brame de Zéphyr, Samba de la Muerte and the Scottish contemporary folk duo Dowally.

Their accompaniment is performed in the venue rather than supplied as a conventional recorded soundtrack, giving audiences a live musical interpretation of Epstein’s restored images.

Booking the FINIS TERRAE Tour

Tickets for the Montrose, Dunkeld, Inverness and Dundee dates are listed through Cinetopia. The Edinburgh Filmhouse performance remains scheduled for 16 September, but its start time and ticket release are still to be confirmed. Anyone planning to attend should select the relevant venue through Cinetopia and check the displayed ticket information before booking.

Source: Creative Scotland News