Monday, March 2, 2009

Norn Iron News From Across the Pond


A short film written, directed, and produced by Queen's University graduate, Conor Clements. This is the first film from Northern Ireland to be premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.


James has learnt to be withdrawn and secretive in a family with long buried secrets. Lonely and confused, he is drawn to one of his schoolteachers, Mr Sutherland, focusing on him as the one person who might understand his inner turmoil. When an older man approaches him in a public toilet, James panics and calls his mother, but refuses to tell her what happened. Late that night, James listens to his parents arguing about him. His fathers offhanded dismissal of his mothers concern results in a vicious row. When a devastated James turns to Mr. Sutherland for help, the teachers response leads James to take an irrevocable step.

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival held in the US and takes place annually in Utah. Sundance is the premiere showcase for American and international independent filmmakers. It is about time talented filmmakers from Northern Ireland are finally being recognized on the other side of the pond and it's refreshing to see subject matter other than political/religious strife that has typecasted Northern Ireland for so long. Time for something new!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thanks for highlighting this. A good friend, Gordon Gillespie, lectures at a summer school programme at the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen's University. One of his courses is on "Troubles films", and how this genre has evolved to where new films are decidedly NOT about the Troubles. I will certainly bring this to his attention; Gordon is a film junkie!