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Further Concept Information:

Macbeth is a text that Yan felt intended to illustrate the wildness of Scotland. Scotland is represented historically by its dramatic, hard land and the mysteries surrounding those that inhabit it. Yan chose to take the environment as a strong theme in her interpretation; with the characters being defined by their applied surroundings. Being a time period where people were very much living off the land,  the film would be kept to its original setting: the 11th century. The setting therefore restricts garment cut, the colour palette and materials used. To fully illustrate the harshness and beauty of the Scottish landscape, the action taken place will be situated in high land mid-winter near Perth (not far from its original setting), and to contrast, the coast. This contrast in texture, colour, matter and height will represent the conquering taking place, the demise of sanity and removing the country from something recognisable as Scotland, (the salt and water- melting the snow).

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Yan saw Macbeth equally, as a rather historic attempt at addressing the issue of the ‘unnatural woman’ and the impact they have on men, this lead her to the other component of her concept: the mythology of the Selkie or Seal-folk.  With frequent referencing to an other-worldly nature in the women featured in the text, the witches and Lady Macbeth was interpreted as Selkies.  Selkies were believed to be either people persecuted and sent to the sea for sin or those who had drowned- this being the influence for the Selkies developing the murderous and desperate actions taken place. In this world, Macbeth and the military will become fishermen and merchants- men, brave enough to cross the environmental borders- from mountain to coast.

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In folklore, in midwinter, men were thought to steal the skin of Selkies imprisoning them to land and likewise Selkies to capture a human. Both these situations demonstrate the unhealthy relationship between the husband and wife. Macbeth as a character, although faithful at first to his post, is thirsty for change and invites a new world- one that involves the supernatural and a new Scotland. His destruction coming from an attempt to change his body beyond nature. With Selkies, the concept of deception and adopting a new body, mind and environment becomes visually communicated. The folk of the old ways- in the mountain – are embedded in such, strong, dry and stay resilient against the insanities of the non-humans.