Irish Film History New Book

New hardback, first edition, 328 pages, by Arthur Flynn.From the first jerky one-reelers screened in 1896 to Ardmore Studio opening in 1958.

Story of Irish Film is a comprehensive account
of Ireland's relationship with the big screen.

The early history of film-making in Ireland is mainly the story of the production of feature films by foreign directors. Up to the late 1970s the Irish contribution was confined almost entirely to shorts and documentaries. Indigenous feature film-making only began on an acceptable level after the foundation of the Irish Film Board. At various stages throughout the years, important one-off works did emerge from Irish directors. One of the earliest examples was The Dawn in 1936, acted by amateurs in Killarney and directed by Tom Cooper. Unfortunately there was no follow-up.

The majority of other mainstream films were Hollywood versions of Irish life, as with John Ford's The Quiet Man and David Lean's Ryan's Daughter. In other productions, Irish locations doubled as a variety of international settings: from Germany in The Spy who Came in from the Cold and The Red Baron, France in The Blue Max, to China in The Face of Fu Manchu.

From the mid-1980s there was an unprecedented upturn in the fortunes of film-making in Ireland by both indigenous directors and foreign companies availing of tax breaks. The emergence of Neil Jordan with Angel and The Crying Game, and Jim Sheridan with My Left Foot and The Field, did much to focus attention on Irish film.

Equally encouraging is the emergence of a new wave of Irish directors including Gerry Stembridge, Conor McPherson, Paddy Breathnach, Kirsten Sheridan, John Crowley and Liz Gill. Each has broken barriers and produced their own style of film.

Arthur Flynn has written a fascinating account, guaranteed to interest the movie buff & cinema-goer.