‘The best and the worst of humanity’: Y Wal returns with Lisa Jên Brown

Y Wal returns to S4C as Lisa Jên Brown travels the world to explore the historical and often invisible boundaries that divide communities, hearing from the people who live in their shadows.

“Nothing could have prepared me for filming this series,” says Lisa Jên Brown, actress, singer and presenter from Bethesda in north Wales.

“We heard unbelievable stories, people experiencing these major things, and no matter how much I’d read or prepared, there was a lot of reacting and dealing with things in the moment, on camera.”

Filmed across four continents, the new series of Y Wal takes viewers to the Finnish-Russian border, São Paulo in Brazil, Vietnam and the Spain-Morocco frontier in Ceuta.

In each location Lisa explores how walls and borders shape the lives of communities living on either side and follows the personal stories of the local people.

“There are experiences and stories that will stay with me forever,” says Lisa, who won a Best Presenter Award at BAFTA Cymru in 2023 for her episode of Stori’r Iaith on S4C.

“In Brazil one man shared a story with us in the favellas… Claudio. He’s a musician. He was driving home with his friends from a gig, the car was full of instruments and kit, when he was stopped by one of the gangs.

“A gang member held a gun to his head, the gun was still hot, so he’d clearly just shot someone… He ordered Claudio to play the guitar, to prove the stuff wasn’t stolen – or he’d kill everyone in the car. Claudio closed his eyes and played his guitar; he performed an old favourite about Brazil, thinking it might be the last song he’d ever sing.

“When he opened his eyes, the man holding the gun was crying, moved to tears by the music, the gun down by his side. So, there are stories of hope too, of love and goodness and creativity.”

Having received special permission to film, the first episode sees Lisa travelling to the Finnish-Russian border, closed since 2023 following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

We follow Lisa as she visits a local shooting range where people are preparing for war, and is subsequently welcomed into a local home where half a Russian family live, the other half still over the border in Russia.

From seeing two ex-soldiers and former enemies reconciling in Vietnam, to hearing from migrants in Ceuta who are about to risk everything in hope of a better life, the series is full of gut-wrenching stories, depicting the personal and the deeply political.

“I feel like I’ve seen the best and the worst of humanity,” says Lisa, who is now home in north Wales. “I was disheartened at times, but I’ve also seen that there are so many good people out there. At the heart of things, people are good.”

The series was produced in partnerships with three countries and three broadcasters: S4C in Wales, TG4 in Ireland and MG ALBA in Scotland, with support from Creative Wales. A version of the series, narrated by actor Matthew Rhys, will be distributed internationally by Cineflix Rights.

Llinos Wynne, Head of Documentaries and Factual at S4C, said: “This collaboration between S4C, TG4 and MG ALBA demonstrates what can be achieved when Celtic broadcasters work together. By pooling creative talent and resources, we can tell ambitious global stories while celebrating our shared cultural heritage.”

Caryl Ebenezer from Rondo, Y Wal’s Executive Producer, said: “This tri-Celtic co-production between Wales, Ireland and Scotland has enabled us to bring timely global stories to Celtic audiences in an intimate and human way, whilst also celebrating the strength and kinship of our languages.

“For Rondo, leading a co-production that combines international storytelling with a strong Celtic creative partnership has been a special experience.”

Y Wal returns to S4C at 21.00 on 7 April and is available on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer with Welsh and English subtitles.