Why Ben Rivers Revisited a Hermit for ‘Bogancloch’ and His Return to London

British artist and filmmaker Ben Rivers has returned to Bogancloch, a secluded area nestled in a vast highland forest in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This is the home of hermit Jake Williams and the setting for Rivers’ new film, which shares the same name. The film premiered in the international competition program at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, where Jessica Hausner leads the jury.

Bogancloch captures Williams’ life throughout the seasons, presenting a portrait of solitude occasionally interrupted by others. The film follows up on Rivers’ earlier works, the short This Is My Land (2007) and the feature Two Years at Sea (2011).

“I made one of my first shorts and my first feature with Jake Williams,” Rivers explains on the Locarno festival website. “I like the idea of returning to a person and seeing how we repeat gestures and obsessions, but also observing how these change over time due to the shifting world around us.”

Rivers discussed his latest feature during a press conference at Locarno, providing some insight into his creative process. “It takes a few days of adjustment to get back to London, to being surrounded by people and noise,” the filmmaker shared, noting a similar adjustment when moving from his home to the remote Scottish wilderness. “The transitions involve changes in life routines, eating, washing, and even the sounds around you,” he said.

Over the years, Rivers’ feelings about these places have evolved. “I think increasingly I maybe find it harder and harder to transition back to London,” he admitted. “I quite like the calm of the Scottish wilderness.”

Rivers addressed the film’s potential philosophical message, saying, “Making a film about somebody who lives an isolated life could be seen as depicting a selfish detachment from the world. However, Jake isn’t that type of person. He does connect with people and encourages them to visit and stay with him.”

Why did Rivers feel compelled to revisit Williams? “It’s a sequel of sorts,” he said, noting that their relationship has become a friendship. The first film focused on meeting Williams “without vocal language.” In this new film, Rivers aimed to depict “slow changes,” including Williams’ social interactions. “He likes his interactions, so it was important for me to show people entering his space and him going out to other spaces, such as a school or when people come and sing.”

Rivers emphasized the significance of a particular song choice in the film, describing it as a “battle between life and death,” but concluded, “At the end, the song is somewhat hopeful.”