Scéalta Mhúscraí (Muskerry Stories)

Ireland | 2012 | 45 mins | B&W + Colour | 16:9

Sé Scannáin Nua ón Seisear Scannáinaí Nua !
Six New Films by Six New Filmmakers !

Déanta i rith na ceardlanna scannánaiochta i gcomhoibriú le
Made during Community Cinema Workshops in Collaboration with Dónal Ó Céilleachair

Taibhreamh (Dream) le/by Hannie Corkery
Mórathrú (Upheaval) le/by Áine Bean Uí hAirtnéada
Amuigh (Outside) le/by Catherine Ketch
File (Poet) le/by Betsy Ní Shuibhne
Sraith (Cycle) le/by Helen Willems
Dearthair (Brother)* le/by Joan Mary McCarthy
(* Special Mention at the 2012 Cork Film Festival)

Scéalta Mhuscraí (Muskerry Stories) comes from Cinema Workshops for adults and seniors, conducted by NY and Ireland based filmmaker Dónal Ó Céilleachair who was based in the Muskerry Gaeltacht working on a number of film projects.

Participants were given an entire overview of the filmmaking process from story conception right through to editing and production with Ó Céilleachair showing excerpts from his own international work in experimental, documentary and fiction filmmaking.

There was an onus on how artists make films with a particular focus on the experimental films of Ó Céilleachair, filmmakers he has collaborated with and on international filmmakers such as Andrei Tarkovsky.

Participants learned the basic language of filmmaking and thinking visually to tell stories, and learned how to work with basic filming equipment. Participants brought story ideas to the workshops which were then developed into film scripts. Each participant was asked to write down their dreams in a dream diary which were then shared and discussed throughout the workshop process with the idea that these dreams would eventually influence the films being made.

The workshops took place at Ionad Cultúrtha over 8 weeks in the Autumn/Winter of 2010. There were over 15 participants in total and 6 completed films were produced in the final process. The films were shot during the course of the 8 weeks of workshops and edited in Spring, 2011 to be ready for the May 12th Premiere date.

Each film relates different stories from the Muskerry Gaeltacht dealing with themes of immigration as in Mary Joan McCarthy’s ‘Dearthair/Brother’, or exploring challenges in speaking the Irish language as in Hannie Corkery’s ‘Taibhreamh/Dream’. Other films deal with the rich culture of the region including a look at some of the almost 10,000 archaelogical sites of mid-cork in Helen Willems ‘Sraith/Cycle’ or the local Bardic School tradition in Betsy Ní Suibhne’s ‘File/Poet’. Áine Bean Uí hAirtnéada’s film Mórathrú (Upheaval) looks back at the tragic flooding of the Gearagh region while Catherine Ketch follows a more experimental approach to documenting the area in ‘Amuigh/Outside’.

These are all first films from first time filmmakers; a courageous achievement for each of the participants, and the films are 100% made in the Muskerry region of Mid-Cork, with music from local musicians including Ger Wolfe and Fiona Kelleher.

Tagann Scéalta Mhuscraí (Muskerry Stories) ó na Cearlanna Scannánaíochta a bhí ar siúl ag Dónal Ó Céilleachair, scannánaí atá lonnaithe I Nua Eabhrach agus in Éirinn, agus atá ina chónaí faoi láthair I nGaeltacht Mhuscraí ag obair ar scannáin éagsúla.

 

Tugtar léargas iomlán den phróiséas scannánaíochta do na rannpháirtithe, ó chumadh scéil go h-eagarthóireacht agus léiritheoireacht. Taispeanann Ó Céilleachair samplaí dóibh de scannánaíocht triallach, faisnéise agus ficsean as a chuid oibre obair idirnáisiúnta féin. Bhí béim curtha ar an chaoi ina ndeanann ealaíontóirí a gcuid scannáin, le bhéim speisialta curtha ar na scannáin triallach atá déanta ag Ó Céilleachair, ar scannánaithe eile go bhfuil Ó Céilleachair tar éis comhoibriú leo, agus ar scannánaithe idirnáisiúnta ar nós Andrei Tarkovsky.

D’fhoghlaim na rannpháirtithe an “teanga” bunúsach de’n scannánaíocht, agus conas scéal a insint le hiomhánna, agus conas trealamh bunúsach scannánaíochta a úsáid. Thug na rannpháirtithe a smaointí féin isteach ins na ceardlanna, agus dhein siad forbairt ar na smaointí sin chun scripteanna scannáin a dhéanamh astu. Cuireadh ceist ar gach rannpháirtí a chuid taibhreamh a scríobh síos I ndialann, agus ansin deineadh iad a phlé ins an phróiséas ceardlainne ar fad, leis an smaoineamh go mbeidh tionchar ag na taibhreamh seo ar na scannáin.

Bhí na ceardlanna ar siúl san Ionad Cultúrtha ar feadh 8 seachtaine i rith fómhair agus geimhreadh 2010. Bhí níos mó ná 15 rannpháirtithe ag freastail agus críoochnaiodh 6 scannáin ag deireadh an phróiseas. Bhí na scannáin taifeadta I rith na 8 seachtaine de na ceardlanna, agus rinneadh eagarthóireacht orthu in earrach 2011, ionas go mbeidhis réidh don Premiere ar an 12ú lá de mhí Bealtaine.

Léiríonn gach scannán scéal difriúil ó nGaeltacht Mhuscraí, ag deileáil le théamaí éagsúla ar nós an imirce, mar atá I “Deartháir”, scannán le Mary Joan McCarthy, nó ag deileáil le dúshlán na Ghaeiluinne a labhairt, mar atá I “Taibhreamh”, le Hannie Corkery. Tá scannáin eile bunaithe ar chultúr saibhir na háite, ar nós “Sraith”, scannán le Helen Willems, a bhreathnaíonn ar cuid de na 10,000 suíomh seandálaíochta atá lonnaithe I gCorcaigh Láir, agus “File”, le Betsy Ní Shuibhne, mar gheall ar an traidisiún na dámhscol aitiúl. Tá “Mórathrú”, scannán le Áine Bean Uí hAirtnéada, ag féachaint siar ar an dtuilleadh a chlúdaigh an cheantar Ghearagh, agus téann Catherine Ketch síos bealach triallach chun an cheantar agus an dúlra a thaispeáint trí shúile eile in “Amuigh”.

Seo hiad na chéad scannáin a rinne na scannáinaithe seo riamh, éacht cróga atá bainte amach acu, agus tá na scannáin seo 100% déanta I gceantar Mhuscraí I gCorcaigh Láir, le cheol ó ceoltóirí áitiúla Ger Wolfe agus Fiona Kelleher san áireamh.

  • Ionad Cultúrtha (Cultural Centre) in the Cork Gaeltacht.
  • Cork Film Festival, 2011 (‘Dearthair’ Receives a Special Mention)
  • San Francisco Irish Film Festival, Sept. 2011
  • Féile na Laoch Festival, Cúil Aodha (‘Dearthair’ Receives a Special Prize)
  • Fastnet Short Film Festival, 2012
  • The Seachtain na Gaeilge Travelling Film Festival 2012 to Offaly, Dublin, Belfast, Manchester and Havana Cuba

Tá an scéim seo maoinithe ag / This scheme is supported by:

Údarás na Gaeltachta
Ealaín na Gaeltachta
An Chomhairle Ealaíon (The Arts Council)
Comhairle Chontae Chorcaí (Cork County Council Arts Office)
And Ionad Cúlturtha

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Buíochas Breise go dtí / Additional Thanks to CCTV (Cork Community Television) and Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland).