Lighthouse Movies: Half Light (2006)

Twr Mawr Lighthouse

A movie sticks in my mind. 2006’s Half Light starring Demi Moore, written and directed by Craig Rosenberg, was filmed partially on Llanddwyn Island in Anglesey, Wales. Although the story takes place in the Scottish village of Ingonish, filmmakers thought the setting surrounding real-life Twr Mawr lighthouse warranted the trouble.

What trouble, you may ask? Well, first of all, beautiful Twr Mawr has no gallery, no conventional lantern room. It was, in fact, modeled after a popular windmill design. How then would Demi Moore and film paramour Hans Matheson have a romantic moment at the railing? Not to mention that Llanddwyn Island is a sacred place to the Welsh, who didn’t take too kindly to the overpowering film crew that invaded their turf. According to IMDB, Ms. Moore’s acquisition of 20 crates of beer for the crew’s enjoyment after filming probably added to the outrage exhibited by the community. Worse, the blackguards painted the lighthouse red!

Naturally, filmmakers got around the lack of a gallery with the help of CGI:  Computer generated imagery. It is said that they also built a false top for the lighthouse, but ended up not using it.

Personally, I liked the film. I mean, it’s about a lighthouse, right? Duh! Plus it has a supernatural angle, which I won’t go into for fear of spoiling it for those of you already clicking on Netflix. Demi Moore does a respectable job as a writer’s blocked author who is also grieving for her lost child.

I do regret, however, that the film company created such a stir in this quiet, spiritual community.

PS:  A bit of trivia… actor Hans Matheson, who stars as the handsome lighthouse keeper, was born in 1975–the same year Twr Mawr was deactivated, after 130 years of active service!