Directing
Set in 1950s rural Ireland, this is a powerful story of the relationship between father and so. Amid emigration and war, John Doyle’s feud with Ben Moran resurfaces after Ben’s son dies in Korea. As John's son Eamon falls for Una Moran, old hatreds threaten young love in a tragic, modern Romeo and Juliet tale.
Agnes MacDonnell, a strong and self-confident Englishwoman, owns a large estate on an island off the west coast of Ireland. When she begins a passionate but dangerous affair with her new estate manager, Agnes wages a desperate struggle to dominate this charismatic but destructive man.
A precursor to Reefer and the Model, Waterbag involves the relationship between two fishermen and a pregnant woman, and ends with an apparently self-induced miscarriage.
Mixing classroom dramatization with documentary material, interviews with former students who recall barbaric punishments in the name of learning, and a 1932 newsreel of a triumphant Catholic congress in Dublin, this piece poses a challenging and controversial exploration of the Christian Brothers' education system in the 50s.
Muide Eire / We are Ireland documents the history of Ireland on screen. From the horse drawn carriages of Dublin's yesteryear, to the latest summer blockbuster, this film takes an intimate look at film making in Ireland - as a visual expression of Irish culture, celebrating contemporary filmmakers in both the Irish and English languages. From the glamour of the red carpet to behind the scenes 5am starts, We are Ireland invites the viewer into this world where art and industry exist in delicate balance. The heart of this documentary is our investigation into representations of Ireland and the Irish - how the Irish have been viewed abroad, and how we represent ourselves on screen.
A group of Ballyfermot schoolboys attempt to rob an orchard in the more affluent, nearby suburb of Chapelizod.
A group of unemployed and marginalised souls eke out a meagre living by drawing welfare and occupying a derelict squat in an apocalyptic inner city Dublin. Among the undesirables are a gay man estranged from his wife, a pimp and his prostitute, a destitute businessman, and a paranoiac. The makeshift family soon find themselves subject of intimidation from the State, along with other external forces.
Based on the writings of David Chapman and Jimmy Brennan, Withdrawal is about Jimmy, a heroin user in a Dublin psychiatric hospital. His thoughts and observations dominate, his subjective voice-over speculating on the lives of his companions. Jimmy leaves the hospital, returning to the city to reconcile with his loved ones, but his withdrawal leads ultimately to a dead end.
MáirĂn deBurca has lived a life shaped, but never governed, by external events. A key element of her personal life is the capacity to question and a willingness to switch tack if the answers she finds require it. This is the dynamic that roused her interest in the struggle for Ireland’s independence and then propelled her towards pacifism. It sparked her deep thirst for social justice, which eventually concluded in her exit from the world of politics.
