JDIFF09: MISE EIRE
Undoubtedly the highlight of the festival for me was to see this 50th anniversary screening of what is probably Ireland's most important film, and certainly my favourite Irish film. Of course I've seen it on DVD but to see it on the big screen is special, particularly when it was accompanied by George Morrison receiving JDIFF's lifetime achievement award.
Long-time readers of this blog need no introduction but for the benefit of others, Mise Eire is a documentary from 1959 which details the rise of nationalism in Ireland from 1895 to just after the Easter Rising of 1916. Told entirely using archive material (Morrison is a tremendously important archivist as well as a gifted filmmaker), the film is slickly pieced together and wrapped up in a truly memorable score by Sean O'Riada. Alternating between a melancholy, haunting elegy for Ireland's dead heroes and a rousing, patriotic theme, the score's importance cannot be overstated.
A fitting tribute to a great filmmaker and a great film.
Long-time readers of this blog need no introduction but for the benefit of others, Mise Eire is a documentary from 1959 which details the rise of nationalism in Ireland from 1895 to just after the Easter Rising of 1916. Told entirely using archive material (Morrison is a tremendously important archivist as well as a gifted filmmaker), the film is slickly pieced together and wrapped up in a truly memorable score by Sean O'Riada. Alternating between a melancholy, haunting elegy for Ireland's dead heroes and a rousing, patriotic theme, the score's importance cannot be overstated.
A fitting tribute to a great filmmaker and a great film.
Labels: documentaries, dublin film festival, George Morrison, Irish film
posted by Alan at 1:50 am
2 Comments:
Dammit now I'm the one to be put to shame, as much as I want to see this, I never have. The one year I don't go near the Dublin film fest there's something on that I've always wanted to see..!
Ah well, the rest of the line-up wasn't great so maybe you picked the right year to miss out anyway. You'll just need to pop out and buy yourself the DVD instead!
It's funny though, I spoke to quite a few Irish folk while I was over and they seemed to be split into two camps - either, like yourself, they'd never seen it; or else they'd had it drilled into them so much at school they didn't want to see it again!
I can pretty much guarantee that when you do see it you'll have the music in your head for days afterwards too!
Cheers,
Alan
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