Under the
Mountain Ash

In development

 

Feature-length film

 

Aaron Murphy, a thirty-two-year-old Londoner reeling from the fallout of his own uncontrollable anger, escapes to a gay wellness retreat in the valleys of rural North Wales. But the retreat’s forced tranquillity only makes him feel more adrift — until he crosses paths with Idris, a solitary elderly farmer living quietly on the hillside with his vulnerable brother, Huw.

 

Idris speaks no English and carries the weight of a love lost decades earlier. Aaron, still raw from the collapse of his relationship, finds himself drawn to the older man’s gentleness and silence. What begins as an awkward encounter slowly evolves into a fragile, unexpected bond forged through translation apps, shared cups of tea, and long stretches of stillness.

 

When Aaron stumbles upon clues about the man Idris once loved — a painter who vanished after an arrest for indecency — the two embark on a tentative journey across Wales. From valleys to coastlines to the streets of Swansea and Cardiff, they search for answers that might help both men confront the regrets they’ve carried alone for far too long.

 

Under the Mountain Ash is a tender, intergenerational story about queer longing, exile, anger, and healing — and how two strangers can change each other’s lives in ways neither of them expects.