They Came, They Saw, They Watched the Film!

The 220 film fans who were lucky enough to receive free tickets to Pictavia’s exclusive screening of the yet-to-be released movie Centurion on Saturday, April 10, were joined by a few very special guests – three Roman Centurions!

Two of the Centurions, who are members of living history re-enactment society The Antonine Guard, appeared as extras in the film and this was their first chance to see themselves on the big screen. Claudius Publius Tachitus (Arran Johnston) was involved in several scenes filmed high on the snow-covered Cairngorm Mountains, while Standard Bearer Claudius Terentus took part in the filming around Aviemore.

“Filming was very tough,” said Claudius Terentus, who, when out of Roman uniform, is known as Ron Greer. “However, it was fascinating to see how a film is put together and it was good to meet the stars, especially the Bond Girl, Olga Kurylenko, who plays one of the film’s main characters, the Pict Warrior, Etain.”

The film, which centres around a Roman Legion’s battles against the Picts, was very well-received by the audience in the DCA’s packed auditorium. “We are delighted with how well the screening went and were very interested to see how the film depicts the Picts and their struggles against the might of the Roman Empire,” said Jennifer Sharp of Pictavia, the centre for Pictish Heritage on the outskirts of Brechin which is run by Angus Council. “The 220 free tickets were snapped up very quickly so there’s certainly a lot of local interest in the Picts – and when Centurion goes on general release on April 23, we are confident it will bring even more visitors to Pictavia.”

The Centurions also took part in a Q&A session with members of the audience and were involved in the official opening of the new-look Pictavia website - www.pictavia.org.uk. “The story of the Picts is a vital but often forgotten element of the history of Scotland,” continued Jennifer. “Thanks to Pictavia – and this excellent film – this oversight is being redressed and the people who lived in this corner of Scotland about 2,000 years ago are finally being awarded the recognition they deserve.”