Cinematography
An evocative film-poem exploring the literary and other ghosts of the bohemian quarter bordering Dublin’s Baggot Street during the mid-20th century where there was a radical flourishing of artistic and intellectual activity.
Director
An evocative film-poem exploring the literary and other ghosts of the bohemian quarter bordering Dublin’s Baggot Street during the mid-20th century where there was a radical flourishing of artistic and intellectual activity.
Writer
Based upon a real-life meeting between a young sexual assault victim and her offender after his release from prison.
Director
Based upon a real-life meeting between a young sexual assault victim and her offender after his release from prison.
Director
Ivor Browne has been a central figure in Irish mental health for many decades. Some people wish he wasn’t. Yet many people owe their lives to him. Browne somehow managed to be part of the establishment while still being one of its greatest critics. His pioneering and often controversial lifelong work on behalf of the many who cannot speak for themselves is notable. Alan Gilsenan’s new film captures the essence of this extraordinary human being. In a quirky and challenging cinematic portrait we meet a man, now in his late-eighties, who is still full of energy, good humour and compassion, and who remains a deeply-informed, startlingly innovative thinker. His unique attributes continue to find vital expression and offer real hope in an increasingly bewildering world. With contributions from Tommy Tiernan, Tom Murphy, Mary Coughlan, Sebastian Barry, Nell McCafferty and others.
Writer
When Brazil won the war against Paraguay in 1870, they spared the life, but not the reputation of the woman they claimed was the chief villain in the bloodshed. Irish-born Eliza Lynch, lifetime partner of dictator Francisco Solano López, was painted by Brazil as a puppet master, thief and whore, and in 1991 included alongside Lucretia Borgia and Catherine the Great in a book entitled The World’s Wickedest Women. In Paraguay, the country where she lived as a beloved uncrowned queen, she is a national heroine. Fascinated by the contradiction, Irish academics Michael Lillis and Ronan Fanning embarked on 18 years of research to write a biography which forms the basis of Alan Gilsenan’s unique and compassionate documentary. Blending interviews with re-enactments of Eliza’s life – wonderfully performed by actress Maria Doyle – Gilsenan thoughtfully breathes humanity into a portrait of a much maligned woman.
Director
When Brazil won the war against Paraguay in 1870, they spared the life, but not the reputation of the woman they claimed was the chief villain in the bloodshed. Irish-born Eliza Lynch, lifetime partner of dictator Francisco Solano López, was painted by Brazil as a puppet master, thief and whore, and in 1991 included alongside Lucretia Borgia and Catherine the Great in a book entitled The World’s Wickedest Women. In Paraguay, the country where she lived as a beloved uncrowned queen, she is a national heroine. Fascinated by the contradiction, Irish academics Michael Lillis and Ronan Fanning embarked on 18 years of research to write a biography which forms the basis of Alan Gilsenan’s unique and compassionate documentary. Blending interviews with re-enactments of Eliza’s life – wonderfully performed by actress Maria Doyle – Gilsenan thoughtfully breathes humanity into a portrait of a much maligned woman.
Writer
The date was November 2nd, All Soul's Day, when Nicole's naked body was found on the beach. Seven years on, Nicole's mother Madie, obsessed with finding out what really happened on that fateful day, visits her daughter's boyfriend Jim in prison. As memories unfold and secrets are unveiled in the search for truth and redemption, Madie and Jim stumble upon something more sinister. Shot in different formats, in colour and black and white, fragments of a tragic story emerge from this rich, visual film.
Director
Irish emigrants in London and New York are contrasted with life in Ireland where unemployment and deprivation are said to be endemic. The experience, effects and meaning of emigration in 1980s Irish is examined using a combination of interviews with emigrants, commentators and politicians. The film also features inserts of a stand-up comic performing in various locations, adding a surreal element to the programme.
