Enys Men: Film poster a Cornish language breakthrough

The Cornish language is an essential element of the film, said producer Denzil Monk

A new film from acclaimed Cornish director Mark Jenkin features a poster in Cornish.

The use of the language is thought to be a first on a poster for a feature film, said producer Denzil Monk.

Enys Men, which follows the Bafta-award winning Bait from Mr Jenkin, is described as a "folk horror".

The film revolves around a wildlife volunteer whose daily observations of a strange flower on a lonely island take a dark turn.

The film takes a dark turn for a wildlife volunteer

Mr Monk said: "To the best of our knowledge it is the first time a Cornish language poster has been used for a distributed feature film.

"It gives the sense that the language was the language of the island and it's nice to highlight this aspect of the film.

"The Cornish language is also thriving, the number of people speaking it is growing all the time and it's started to break into mainstream culture.

"To see it normalised in this way is really important for its future and makes it more visible."

The Cornish language was also an "essential element" in the film which includes song written by Mercury Prize 2022 nominee Gwenno.

"This is a Cornish production through and through and a celebration of Cornwall's rich folklore, its tin and copper mining heritage, relationship with the sea and stunning natural beauty," said Mr Monk.

The new film is due for UK-wide release on 13 January along with a series of screenings in Cornwall, Devon and Bristol with Mr Jenkin.

Cornish was recognised by the UK Government as a minority language in 2002, it is used in more than 3,000 bilingual street signs and companies such as St Austell Brewery use the language on their products.