Beast of Loch Ness documentary about occultist Aleister Crowley honoured at film festivals
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A documentary about a notorious occupant of a neglected historic house overlooking Loch Ness has been honoured at film festivals worldwide.
The Beast of Loch Ness tells the lesser-known story of Aleister Crowley’s time at Boleskine House near Foyers.
The occultist lived in the property between 1899 and 1913 while another famous owner was Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page who bought the house in the 1970s but later sold it.
It was badly damaged by a blaze in 2015 and again in 2019 and is now being restored.
The Beast of Loch Ness documentary was selected as a semi-finalist for the Dublin Movie Awards and the Dubai International Film Festival, as well as being named a Special Mention at the UK Seasonal Short Film Festival.
It was also screened as part of the Ride the Wave programme at the St. Andrew’s Film Festival last weekend.
The film also features the modern restoration that saved the house from ruin.
Featuring a team of researchers who separate historical facts from modern pop-culture, the film provides an in-depth examination of Crowley as the self-proclaimed "Beast", revealing the workings of the operational magic he performed while in Scotland.
It explores the lost histories, the mysteries and the craft skills hidden within the house, turning the tide on what has become the Highland’s most misinterpreted and neglected building.
It was produced by award-winning filmmakers Jim Brown of B4Films and Ashley Cowie of History Fuzz, in cooperation with The Boleskine House Foundation, the charity which is restoring and preserving the historical legacy and heritage of the estate.
Foundation chairman Keith Readdy said: "We are proud to share our mission and vision as excitement and recognition builds for this documentary.
"There is plenty of legend around Crowley’s time at the estate, but the factual history is even more interesting, in our opinion.
"From the Frasers, to Crowley, to Jimmy Page, and beyond, this house is still telling its story, brick by brick. We are especially excited about the future of the estate, as a centre of culture, arts, and ecology for the benefit of the general public."
Filming of The Beast of Loch Ness was completed in April 2022, coincidentally on the 118th anniversary of the reception by Crowley of what has become known as The Book of the Law – the central esoteric text of the followers of Thelema. Thelema is the religious philosophy founded by Crowley.
The film was subsequently entered into more than 20 international film festivals.
Go to www.thebeastoflochness.com for more information on the film.
