Forget the make-up, hair, and complicated costumes. Sharon Morgan, one of Wales' best- known actresses, is far more interested in getting right to the heart of the character she's playing. And Sharon had plenty of chance to dig deep beneath the surface of down-to-earth Martha in the film Martha, Jac a Sianco.
The film is an adaptation of the successful contemporary novel of the same name by Caryl Lewis, a young writer from Ceredigion. The book was given a rapturous welcome when it was first published in 2004, and went on to win the Welsh Book of the Year Prize, the Welsh publishing industry's principal prize, in 2005.
"I've waited a while for a rôle like this one... I honestly felt it was a privilege to play Martha," explains Sharon. "I also feel the film is culturally important. It's a superb story which will pull at the heart strings, but it's a also a strong and sensitive portrayal of agricultural life in Wales. Martha's story will resonate with many viewers," she adds.
The film centres on Martha and her two brothers, Jac (Ifan Huw Dafydd) and Sianco (Geraint Lewis) as the three struggle to come to terms with changes in their lives following their mother's death.
"I'm so proud to be part of a film that focusses on the lives of middle-aged people," says Sharon. "We too have our stories to tell. People who have lots of life experience are fascinating."
The two-hour film, produced by Teledu Apollo, was filmed almost entirely on location at Cribor Fawr, Pont-siân, in rural Ceredigion. Caryl Lewis adapted her novel for the screen.
© 2011 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales