As part of our Autumn/Winter series of film nights, on Friday, 6th December, we were delighted to present, with Q&A and introduction by the director, Pat Collins,
What We Leave in Our Wake
Harvest Films | 2010 | 70 mins
Bord Scannán na hÉireann
What We Leave in Our Wake is a filmic essay which unfolds as a series of conversations on Ireland, exploring themes such as emigration, mythology, consumerism, socialism, the place of the church in Irish life, the central role of land in Irish history and the sense of a civic society. Combining images of contemporary Ireland with an evocative blend of archive, What We Leave in Our Wake questions what persists rather than the temporary fluctuations and trends, and talks to some of those uniquely placed to comment on how this country has evolved.
Featuring contributions from Joe Lee, Patrick O’ Connor, Leila Doolan, Iain McGilchrist, Peter McVerry, Declan Kiberd, Desmond Fennell and Olivia O’ Leary and archive recordings of John McGahern and John Moriarty among others.
A beautifully woven tapestry of thoughts by some of our clearest and most articulate thinkers, this gripping and exceedingly aesthetically pleasing film brought the house down and contributed to an extremely lively post-showing discussion on the state of things in Ireland at present and into the future.