The counter-culture revolutionaries of the late 1960s protested against everything that was part of the “establishment,” from consumerism to the Vietnam war. The hippes sought self-sufficiency, living off the land, doing your own thing, and being as naked and natural as the land itself.

But decades earlier there was Marshal South.

In 1930 this eccentric artist and author and his wife Tanya fled civilization in pursuit of a simple back-to-nature lifestyle. For seventeen years they lived on a remote, waterless mountaintop in the California desert and raised three children. Marshal’s monthly articles and Tanya’s poetry in Desert Magazine chronicled life in the arid paradise for a growing national audience. The family survived the Great Depression and World War II, but isolation and betrayal eventually took their toll.

Every August, over 200 bagpipe bands from around the world gather in Glasgow, Scotland, for the World Pipe Band Championships. They converge on Glasgow Green for a single day of intense competition.

This year, 40 of the world’s elite solo pipers and drummers unite as an all-star band—the Spirit of Scotland—to take on world-class bands that have played together for years, even decades. Something like this has never happened before and may never happen again. Can these outstanding individual players come together to create a winning ensemble in just two weeks?

As the competition nears, tension builds. These musicians share a passion for piping, but they are used to performing solo, center stage. Now, they must put the band first, working toward perfect harmony. We witness intense rehearsals leading up to the Worlds and the nail-biting qualifying rounds that determine the 14 finalists.

The film weaves together musical performances with personal stories. The pipers and drummers of the Spirit of Scotland are both extraordinary musicians and everyday people. Through cinéma vérité observation and candid one-on-one interviews, we reveal their distinctive personalities. We explore their backgrounds, hear their intimate and insightful stories—some heartening, some bittersweet—and learn what drives their passion. As they prepare for their ultimate performance, we watch new relationships form and bonds strengthen.

Whatever viewers think they know about bagpipers and piping music will be forever changed. Set against the backdrop of the World Championships, this film uncovers the lore of the pipes and the people behind these powerful instruments. It will entertain, enlighten, and open hearts to the beauty of this often misunderstood, deeply stirring form of music.

Telluride MountainFilm

Cinequest Film Festival

Trento Film Festival

Rome Gaia Film Festival

Big Sky Film Festival

Las Vegas Int’l Film Festival

Sedona Int’l Film Festival

Washington, DC Environmental Festival

Produced and Directed by John McDonald
Director of Photography: Stuart Asbjornsen
Written by Lydia McDonald
Edited by Will Bigham
Post Production Supervisor: Sergio Palermo

Marshal’s Voice: Will Bigham
Tanya’s Voice: Sarah Fairfax

Music provided by Groove Addicts
Aerial Photography by Corporate Helicopters, San Diego

Camera Operator: Marty Zimmerman
Pilot: Ivor Schier
Steadicam and Jib Arm Operator: Jon Myers
Additional Photography: Marty Zimmerman, John McDonald
Sound: John McDonald, Mary Patrick
Audio Post Production: Blaine Stewart
Post: Plus Sound
Camera Assistant: Miguel Ramirez

Biographies

John McDonald, Producer and Director
A USC Film School alumnus, John has been a filmmaker for the past 35 years. A member of the Directors Guild of America and the International Documentary Association, he has made several award-winning documentaries, including Cotton Eyed Joe, The Ghost Mountain Experiment, and On The Day. He is currently filming Mule: Living on the Outside, a feature-length documentary that takes an intimate look at an intriguing, but controversial character. John is also an avid piper and a founding member of the Pasadena Scottish Pipes & Drums.

Lydia McDonald, Writer
Lydia has collaborated with her husband John on a number of documentary projects, including the Emmy-award winning The Youngest Victim. Lydia graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master’s degree in German Linguistics and Literature. She has taught English as a Second Language at Pasadena City College since 1981 and is currently the Chair of the German Department.

Stuart Asbjornsen, Director of Photography
Stuart has extensive experience in both documentary and episodic television productions. He has worked in many parts of the world, including China, Nigeria, Chile, Tierra del Fuego and Afghanistan. His projects have aired on PBS, Discovery, National Geographic and The Learning Channel. Stuart has worked with John McDonald on a number of films over the years, including On The Day.

Will Bigham, Editor
Will Bigham, who is also the voice of Marshal South, a native Texan, has worked as an editor and director in the Los Angeles area for the past two years. Prior to moving to the west coast, Will and his wife Catherine spent five years as resident actors at the Barter Theater, the state theater of Virginia. Will received his MFA in film from Florida State University, and shortly after finishing grad school, Will was hired as the editor for the independent film Tuesday’s Dead, directed by Obren Milanovich.

Sergio Palermo, Post Production Supervisor
A graduate of Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design, Sergio has worked on a range of projects from music videos and commercials to corporate videos, documentaries and feature films. Besides his involvement with On The Day, his documentary work includes Los Zafiros: Music from the Edge of Time and End Game: Ethics and Values in America. Stuart also worked on the Millennium Machine for the Museum of Tolerance in LA and the Holocaust Project in NYC, both permanent installations utilizing multiple streams of video on several screens.

Will Bigham, Voice of Marshal South
Will Bigham, who is also the editor, a native Texan, has worked as an editor and director in the Los Angeles area for the past two years. Prior to moving to the west coast, Will and his wife Catherine spent five years as resident actors at the Barter Theater, the state theater of Virginia. Will received his MFA in film from Florida State University, and shortly after finishing grad school, Will was hired as the editor for the independent film Tuesday’s Dead, directed by Obren Milanovich.

Sarah Fairfax, Voice of Tanya South
Sarah is a Juilliard graduate, appeared most recently on General Hospital as Evelyn McIntyre, on Passions as the Mystery Woman and recurred on House as a hospital board member. She stars in the feature Dreammaker and in National Lampoon’s Van Wilder tried to get Wilder expelled. Her one-woman show Dangerous, But Charming had an extended run at Theatre/Theater in Hollywood.