The Gospel of Ordnance Survey
Lost in the Scottish Highlands, a hike becomes a battle of wills between Ewan, who trusts his map implicitly, and Rhys, who trusts his gut. Their argument over a single path leads them to separate, only to find that being right is cold comfort when you're alone in the fog.
# The Gospel of Ordnance Survey
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A tense hike in the Scottish Highlands forces two friends with opposing philosophies—one trusting maps, the other his gut—to choose between being right and staying together when they become dangerously separated in a thick fog.
## Themes
* **Logic vs. Intuition:** The central conflict between a reliance on empirical data (the map) and a trust in subjective feeling, questioning which is more valuable when navigating both the landscape and human relationships.
* **Pride and Connection:** An exploration of how the intellectual pride and the desperate need to be right can jeopardize a deeply important friendship, and the humility required to mend it.
* **Humanity vs. Nature:** The indifferent, overwhelming power of the natural world serves as a crucible, stripping away petty arguments and forcing the characters to confront their shared vulnerability and interdependence.
## Stakes
In the isolating fog of a remote mountain, a clash of wills risks not only their long-standing friendship but also their very survival.
## Synopsis
On a fog-shrouded Scottish Munro, hikers EWAN and RHYS arrive at a critical fork in the path. Ewan, a staunch rationalist, insists they follow the "left" path as dictated by his trusted Ordnance Survey map. Rhys, an intuitive free-spirit, dismisses the map, claiming he can "feel" that the "right" path is correct.
Their disagreement quickly escalates from a friendly debate into a bitter argument fueled by pride and frustration. Ewan mocks Rhys’s "spiritual-navigational-intuition," while Rhys derides Ewan’s soulless adherence to a "laminated bit of paper." In a moment of mutual, stubborn anger, they split up—a "fifty-metre divorce"—each taking his chosen path into the disorienting mist.
Alone, Ewan’s righteous indignation rapidly cools into a chilling dread. The immense silence and oppressive fog make him realize the monumental stupidity and danger of their situation. What is the point of being right if you are alone and in peril?
He turns back and rushes to the fork, calling out for his friend. Rhys emerges from the other path, his bravado gone. He quietly admits his intuitive route turned into a dead-end stream. The tense confrontation Ewan expects to have dissolves as he sees the relief and embarrassment on Rhys’s face. Instead of saying "I told you so," a laugh bubbles up inside him. Soon, both men are overcome with cathartic laughter at their own absurdity.
The crisis forces them to prioritize their bond over their egos. The story ends with them huddled together for warmth under a single foil blanket, their friendship reaffirmed. They agree to proceed on Ewan's mapped path, together.
## Character Breakdown
**EWAN (30s):** A pragmatist. Meticulous, anxious, and finds comfort in rules, data, and verifiable facts. He sees the world as a problem to be solved with the right tools, and his GORE-TEX and laminated map are his armor against chaos. His reliance on logic makes him rigid and dismissive of anything he can't measure.
* **Psychological Arc:** Ewan begins the story convinced that his objective correctness is paramount, willing to sacrifice connection to prove his point. Through the terror of isolation, he realizes that being right is a hollow victory if you're alone. He moves from rigid intellectual pride to a place of vulnerable, compassionate humility, understanding that shared survival is more important than individual certainty.
**RHYS (30s):** An intuitive romantic. He operates on feeling, instinct, and a belief in unseen connections. He's charming and confident, but his disdain for structure can border on reckless. He trusts his "gut" implicitly, which leads to both brilliant successes and spectacular failures, but he remains unshakably confident in his internal compass.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE FORK:** At a standing stone shrouded in mist, Ewan and Rhys argue over the path. Ewan champions the map ("The Gospel of Ordnance Survey"); Rhys trusts his "gut feeling" that the right-hand path "feels warmer." The central conflict is established.
2. **THE ULTIMATUM:** The argument escalates. Past navigational failures are weaponized. Ewan's frustration boils over as he decries Rhys's methods, while Rhys stubbornly digs in his heels, refusing to follow the "soulless" map.
3. **THE DIVORCE:** In a fit of mutual pique, they agree to split up. "Fine! See if I care!" They march off in opposite directions, each quickly swallowed by the dense, silent fog.
4. **SOLITUDE & FEAR:** Alone, Ewan’s anger evaporates, replaced by a chilling dread. The silence and enveloping mist highlight his profound vulnerability. He realizes the absurdity and mortal danger of their fight.
5. **THE REUNION:** Ewan rushes back to the fork, calling for Rhys with fear in his voice. Rhys emerges from the mist on his path, admitting defeat—his route led to a stream.
6. **CATHARSIS:** The expected "I told you so" moment is replaced by shared, cathartic laughter. They see the absurdity of their pride. Ewan mocks Rhys's "warm path," and they laugh at how their argument nearly led to disaster.
7. **RECONNECTION:** The laughter subsides into a comfortable quiet. Ewan pulls out an emergency foil blanket and wraps it around both their shoulders, pulling Rhys close. They share a moment of quiet intimacy and warmth, their bond repaired. They agree to take Ewan's path, together.
## Visual Style & Tone
* **Visual Style:** Claustrophobic and atmospheric. The camera remains tight on the characters, emphasizing their isolation within the vast, unseen landscape. The color palette is muted and desaturated—oppressive greys, damp greens, dark earth tones—making the final shot of the shimmering silver foil blanket feel like a beacon of life and warmth. The use of handheld camerawork will enhance the sense of disorientation in the fog and the intimacy of the characters' conflict and resolution.
* **Tone:** The tone balances escalating tension with character-driven, naturalistic comedy. It has the atmospheric dread of a survival thriller but is grounded by the witty, relatable dialogue of a relationship drama. The emotional journey aligns with character-focused shorts that explore human connection under pressure, reminiscent of the dynamic in an episode of *Catastrophe* or *Together*, but set against the stark, indifferent backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A tense hike in the Scottish Highlands forces two friends with opposing philosophies—one trusting maps, the other his gut—to choose between being right and staying together when they become dangerously separated in a thick fog.
## Themes
* **Logic vs. Intuition:** The central conflict between a reliance on empirical data (the map) and a trust in subjective feeling, questioning which is more valuable when navigating both the landscape and human relationships.
* **Pride and Connection:** An exploration of how the intellectual pride and the desperate need to be right can jeopardize a deeply important friendship, and the humility required to mend it.
* **Humanity vs. Nature:** The indifferent, overwhelming power of the natural world serves as a crucible, stripping away petty arguments and forcing the characters to confront their shared vulnerability and interdependence.
## Stakes
In the isolating fog of a remote mountain, a clash of wills risks not only their long-standing friendship but also their very survival.
## Synopsis
On a fog-shrouded Scottish Munro, hikers EWAN and RHYS arrive at a critical fork in the path. Ewan, a staunch rationalist, insists they follow the "left" path as dictated by his trusted Ordnance Survey map. Rhys, an intuitive free-spirit, dismisses the map, claiming he can "feel" that the "right" path is correct.
Their disagreement quickly escalates from a friendly debate into a bitter argument fueled by pride and frustration. Ewan mocks Rhys’s "spiritual-navigational-intuition," while Rhys derides Ewan’s soulless adherence to a "laminated bit of paper." In a moment of mutual, stubborn anger, they split up—a "fifty-metre divorce"—each taking his chosen path into the disorienting mist.
Alone, Ewan’s righteous indignation rapidly cools into a chilling dread. The immense silence and oppressive fog make him realize the monumental stupidity and danger of their situation. What is the point of being right if you are alone and in peril?
He turns back and rushes to the fork, calling out for his friend. Rhys emerges from the other path, his bravado gone. He quietly admits his intuitive route turned into a dead-end stream. The tense confrontation Ewan expects to have dissolves as he sees the relief and embarrassment on Rhys’s face. Instead of saying "I told you so," a laugh bubbles up inside him. Soon, both men are overcome with cathartic laughter at their own absurdity.
The crisis forces them to prioritize their bond over their egos. The story ends with them huddled together for warmth under a single foil blanket, their friendship reaffirmed. They agree to proceed on Ewan's mapped path, together.
## Character Breakdown
**EWAN (30s):** A pragmatist. Meticulous, anxious, and finds comfort in rules, data, and verifiable facts. He sees the world as a problem to be solved with the right tools, and his GORE-TEX and laminated map are his armor against chaos. His reliance on logic makes him rigid and dismissive of anything he can't measure.
* **Psychological Arc:** Ewan begins the story convinced that his objective correctness is paramount, willing to sacrifice connection to prove his point. Through the terror of isolation, he realizes that being right is a hollow victory if you're alone. He moves from rigid intellectual pride to a place of vulnerable, compassionate humility, understanding that shared survival is more important than individual certainty.
**RHYS (30s):** An intuitive romantic. He operates on feeling, instinct, and a belief in unseen connections. He's charming and confident, but his disdain for structure can border on reckless. He trusts his "gut" implicitly, which leads to both brilliant successes and spectacular failures, but he remains unshakably confident in his internal compass.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE FORK:** At a standing stone shrouded in mist, Ewan and Rhys argue over the path. Ewan champions the map ("The Gospel of Ordnance Survey"); Rhys trusts his "gut feeling" that the right-hand path "feels warmer." The central conflict is established.
2. **THE ULTIMATUM:** The argument escalates. Past navigational failures are weaponized. Ewan's frustration boils over as he decries Rhys's methods, while Rhys stubbornly digs in his heels, refusing to follow the "soulless" map.
3. **THE DIVORCE:** In a fit of mutual pique, they agree to split up. "Fine! See if I care!" They march off in opposite directions, each quickly swallowed by the dense, silent fog.
4. **SOLITUDE & FEAR:** Alone, Ewan’s anger evaporates, replaced by a chilling dread. The silence and enveloping mist highlight his profound vulnerability. He realizes the absurdity and mortal danger of their fight.
5. **THE REUNION:** Ewan rushes back to the fork, calling for Rhys with fear in his voice. Rhys emerges from the mist on his path, admitting defeat—his route led to a stream.
6. **CATHARSIS:** The expected "I told you so" moment is replaced by shared, cathartic laughter. They see the absurdity of their pride. Ewan mocks Rhys's "warm path," and they laugh at how their argument nearly led to disaster.
7. **RECONNECTION:** The laughter subsides into a comfortable quiet. Ewan pulls out an emergency foil blanket and wraps it around both their shoulders, pulling Rhys close. They share a moment of quiet intimacy and warmth, their bond repaired. They agree to take Ewan's path, together.
## Visual Style & Tone
* **Visual Style:** Claustrophobic and atmospheric. The camera remains tight on the characters, emphasizing their isolation within the vast, unseen landscape. The color palette is muted and desaturated—oppressive greys, damp greens, dark earth tones—making the final shot of the shimmering silver foil blanket feel like a beacon of life and warmth. The use of handheld camerawork will enhance the sense of disorientation in the fog and the intimacy of the characters' conflict and resolution.
* **Tone:** The tone balances escalating tension with character-driven, naturalistic comedy. It has the atmospheric dread of a survival thriller but is grounded by the witty, relatable dialogue of a relationship drama. The emotional journey aligns with character-focused shorts that explore human connection under pressure, reminiscent of the dynamic in an episode of *Catastrophe* or *Together*, but set against the stark, indifferent backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.