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| Robin Hardy at The Garrison Theatre, Lerwick, Shetland Photo: Shetland Arts |
Robin Hardy, director of celebrated classic The Wicker Man, has died at the age of 86, it was announced today by the University of Malta, where he contributed to a film studies course. Hardy had completed a sequel to his opus, The Wicker Tree, in 2012, and had been trying to raise funds to film a third part of the trilogy, The Wrath Of The Gods, set in Iceland which, as he told us, is "where we all know the gods live."
The Wicker Man was recently restored and introduced to a new generation in an expansive DVD box set which included material long thought to have been lost. The late Christopher Lee credited Hardy and the film with giving him his greatest ever role.
An author as well as a filmmaker, Hardy produced relatively few works but put his heart and soul into each of them. He was passionate about cinema and especially about the way that music could help to bring stories to life. A lively, genial man who could talk all night and always had time for one more drink, Hardy found humour in every aspect of life and, as a creative artist, enjoyed venturing into very dark places with a smile that could terrify people. He charmed everybody he met and never lost interest in talking about his work and the ideas behind it, with a particular enthusiasm for rooting out Pagan survivals in both ritual and thought. His warmth and sense of mischief will be sorely missed.
