The Four Horn Name
Should you ever come across a Manx Loaghtan sheep you might feel as if you are gazing into myth and folklore itself.
Two oversized scimitar-shaped horns protrude from its crown whilst a secondary smaller set curve downwards below its chin pointing towards a stocky frame covered in thick brown wool. Unique to the Isle of Man and often found perched along the dramatic coastline, the Manx Loaghtan and its famous four horns are, to me, the perfect embodiment of the rugged Celtic/Viking Isle I am proud to call my home.
The Four Horn Name
Should you ever come across a Manx Loaghtan sheep you might feel as if you are gazing into myth and folklore itself.
Two oversized scimitar-shaped horns protrude from its crown whilst a secondary smaller set curve downwards below its chin pointing towards a stocky frame covered in thick brown wool. Unique to the Isle of Man and often found perched along the dramatic coastline, the Manx Loaghtan and its famous four horns are, to me, the perfect embodiment of the rugged Celtic/Viking Isle I am proud to call my home.
Filming
ethos
Through film (and photography), Four Horn strives to harness the stories connected to our wild places.
The aim is simple - to give a spotlight to individuals and organisations that are deeply intertwined with our natural world and to empower those who might not otherwise have a voice within it.
Operating at smaller numbers minimises the Four Horn footprint and enables a deeper understanding with the subject matter. With each film there is an added objective of making a long term difference, be it with a short film/documentary or quick promotional piece.
Below are just a few examples of the impact of a Four Horn film…
Ngumu: The Women of Kilimanjaro – This ground-breaking, award-winning documentary raises awareness of the challenges and advancements of the women of Africa’s highest mountain.
Off the back of this film (available to view below), there has been a drive to address the gender imbalance on the mountain. Partnered with the Exodus Travels Foundation and Robertson Outdoor Bursary, the ‘Mountain Lioness Scholarship’ has now been set up in which 10 women each year over the next 3 years will be fully funded to become fully qualified mountain guides on Kilimanjaro. I am so incredibly proud to announce that despite such a turbulent year with COVID, the scholarship has still gone ahead and this November saw the first 10 sponsored women complete their guide training.
Carried Away: A Porter’s Story – This award winning documentary (winning Best Environmental Film at the 2019 Mountain Film Awards) shines a spotlight on the lives of the incredible porters of the Inca Trail. In making this film we uncovered that no porter working on the trail had ever actually laid eyes on Machu Picchu, a hugely important part of their own heritage and identity as Quechuans.
Off the back of this film, partnered with PEAK and the Exodus Travels Foundation, the ‘Porter Project’ was set up, in which a pledge was made that all porters working for these organisations would all get to see Machu Picchu as a tourist would. 2.5 years later this has been fulfilled with all 108 porters now having seen Machu Picchu on tours spoken in their native Quechuan language with their wages covered for the session. A small gesture to recognise and appreciate the incredible work that these amazing individuals do day in day out.
The Maasai Warrioress – A short film made for the promotion of the charitable organisation SAFE, in which Sarah Tenoi – SAFE Maa Project Manager, talks of her fight against FGM/C in the Loita Hills, Kenya. Key to fundraising, the film has been since used to bring prospective and existing donors closer to the project.
Back in 2017, when filming took place, 70% of young girls were receiving the alternative right of passage; an incredible number but still a long way to go. Gathering by gathering the Morans continued to sing their progressive songs of change (view film for more info), until finally in February 2019 there was an historic breakthrough…
For the first time in history, the tribal elders of the Loita Maasai gathered together to publicly denounce FGM/C in the Loita region of Kenya. All of this made possible because of the amazing work of the SAFE Maa team.