Hedd Wyn

The film is set during World War I, beginning with Britain’s entry into the conflict in 1914 and moving toward its climactic battles in 1917. It follows Ellis’s shift from pacifist poet to frontline recruit, against the backdrop of a nation at war. The key events span the spring and summer of 1917, including the Battle of Passchendaele. The resolution arrives with the death of Ellis and the posthumous award of the National Eisteddfod chair to his submission.

The story begins in the rural Welsh village of Trawsfynydd, a tight-knit farming community with a strong bardic culture. The landscape and daily life here ground the characters in a simple, enduring environment. The action shifts to the Western Front in France, where the brutal realities of World War I unfold, culminating in the Battle of Passchendaele. The contrast between peaceful countryside and battlefield chaos underscores the film’s themes of art, duty, and sacrifice.

🕊️ Sacrifice

Sacrifice drives the core of the film: Ellis’s lifelong dream of winning the National Eisteddfod contrasts with the call of duty and the brutality of war. He makes profound personal concessions for the sake of family and country, ultimately paying the heaviest price. The story turns the cost of art and life into a solemn testament, as his death transforms the award into a symbol of peaceful memory.

💔 Love

Love threads through the narrative as Ellis and Jini’s relationship provides a fragile hope amid impending conflict. Jini’s affection for his poetry and for his safety vying with the grim demands of enlistment creates emotional tension. The lovers’ bond is tested by distance, telegrams, and the looming possibility of loss, culminating in grief after Ellis’s death.

🎨 Art & Identity

The film foregrounds the tension between artistic pursuit and martial ruin. Ellis’s awdl Yr Arwr symbolizes national pride and Welsh identity, which persists even as the war erodes the lives around him. The Army Postal Service and the pursuit of the Eisteddfod chair illustrate how art and culture survive amid destruction, shaping collective memory.

⚔️ Duty vs. Individual

The narrative centers on a moral dilemma: the pressure to enlist versus personal pacifism and familial loyalty. The draft board’s summons confront Ellis with an inescapable sense of duty, while his choice to join—despite initial resistance—highlights the conflict between individual conscience and collective obligation. The eventual outcome emphasizes the cost of duty when it demands the ultimate sacrifice.