Did you have any problems from a legal viewpoint when you were filming? Any pressure from the Govt/Intel side?
No, not really. We had to be very patient and wait for access to transcripts of the Supreme Court which the Chief Justice at the time kindly allowed us to get hold of. We were determined to be accurate in our rendition of the legal proceedings. The other party in the case was IDA / the State, Intel were never actually part of the case. It's a bit scary going into the Supreme Court but I had a great junior counsel who made it all go smoothly.
Had you worked with Fearghal and Tadhg before?
No not really. I did a little bit with Feargal as a DOP but only small jobs really. He took a photo of David Simon for an article I was writing about him once. We were mates from around the place really. I also was on the board of the Joinery which is the much-missed performance/gallery space on Arbour Hill that Feargal ran with Miranda Driscoll.
Will Thomas Reid himself be attending the film at ADIFF?
Not sure yet - he's always very busy with the farm and doesn't have anyone to help him so It’s hard for him to get away.
Do you think the Government overreaches in terms of compulsory purchase orders?
I'm not a big expert on CPOs but I do think that in a lot of cases they aren't over-reaching - I suppose you only hear about the really contentious ones. But I think this case is possibly more interesting for what it symbolises - which is Ireland's craven attitude to tech giants, allowing them to dodge taxes and driving the race to the bottom on corporation tax. Short-term we might be benefitting as a country - long-term the whole world is going to suffer if mega-rich corporations don't pay tax.
Why do you think Ireland is so good at producing documentary films and filmmakers?
I've been lucky enough to travel around Europe last year raising money for this film and mingling with some great documentary makers from around the world at Sheffield, Berlin, Zagreb, Amsterdam. You get a sense of a vibrant global scene full of people with passion and belief. Ireland's no different. One thing that I've noticed is that our support structures here are actually pretty good, with the Irish Film Board (IFB) offering development funding and supporting a project right through its life. This film wouldn't have been made without their support and the help of Mary Callery, Sarah Dillon and Dearbhla Regan at the Board. I also think that Irish people have a good knack for getting people to open up. Engaging strangers in meaningful conversation is often the documentarian's best tactic and that something we do well. Something to do with pubs I guess.
Have you anything else on the horizon?
Oh yes. I'm directing two episodes of a series on the history of Irish protest called Revolting Ireland for TV3 for Sideline Productions. And a two-part film about women in horse-racing for TG4 and Touchline Media. I've also a feature doc in development. I am also looking at some co-producing with some of the contacts I've made last year. It's actually a bit of a whirlwind right now.
Have you seen Song of Granite yet?
I really liked it. I was asked to do the Q & A with Pat Collins at the Light House and we had Radie Peat and Lisa O'Neill who I've worked with singing after the film which was spine-tingling. I made a film for Radie's band Lankum that Lisa appeared in and it seemed to come from the same universe as Song of Granite (Irish language, b & w, sean-nós) which was kind of weird. Really enjoyed the chat with Pat. I think he's gathered a really good collection of collaborators around him and I like his style. His films are always interesting, if sometimes opaque. Opaque can be good of course.
Finally, will you get to see anything else at the festival? Anything you are looking forward to in particular?
I've missed out on tickets for the sold-out A Mother Sends Her Son To Be Shot which is a sickener because I've heard so much about the project from Sinead O'Shea who is a brilliant, tenacious filmmaker. And Lynne Ramsay's new one is sold out which is a bummer: Morvern Callar blew my mind when I saw it. Same year as Red Road I think. In that vein, Aoife McArdle's film Kissing Candice should be really good. I'm also looking forward to Paul Duane and Niall McCann's documentaries. Music never sounds as good as it does in the cinema... And some of Paul Schrader's selections too - I didn't go to film school and I have never really caught up, so I have yawning gaps in my cinema education. So seeing Performance and Pickpocket on the big screen would be an experience to treasure. In a world of smartphone addiction and endless distraction, the joy of the dark room and airplane mode can't be over-emphasised. And the line-up is very strong. I'd like nothing more than to take the week and gorge on it all. No chance, sadly...
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid premiere at ADIFF on Sat 24th February.
CinÉireann / February 2018 37