On The Black Hill has been described as the British Jean de Florette, an evocative story of the life of one family set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Welsh Border Country. Adapted for the big-screen in 1987 from Bruce Chatwin's award-winning novel by writer/director Andrew Grieve, On The Black Hill makes its DVD premiere on 31 March 2008 courtesy of Film First. Winner of the Golden Seashell for Best Film at the 1988 San Sebastian International Film Festival, On The Black Hill is centred on the extraordinary bond between twin brothers Lewis and Benjamin Jones, and shows the history of their family over the course of the 20th century. Bob Peck (Edge of Darkness, Jurassic Park) and Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones Diary, Duchess of Duke Street) play husband and wife Amos and Mary Jones, bound to each other despite resentment and social inequalities. Into this tense environment, identical twins Lewis and Benjamin - played by real-life brothers Mike and Robert Gwilym - are born. The brothers grow, live and die together, sharing the same bed through 80 years of war, romance and loss.
This much-anticipated DVD includes an introductory booklet written by writer/director Andrew Grieves. DVD extras include Pinny Grylls touching short film Peter And Ben, a profound and moving tale of friendship between the reclusive Peter and his sheep Ben, filmed in 2007 in the same location as On The Black Hill.
