Benburb

Details

Location

Benburb

Year

1970s

Source

Digitised as part of Unlocking Film Heritage

Format

16mm

colour

Length

20min 23sec

Silent

sound

Courtesy

British Film Institute, Peter Mc Donald

Rights Holder

Irish Film Archive, Peter Mc Donald

It is illegal to download, copy, print or otherwise utilise in any other form this material, without written consent from the copyright holder.

Description

Why is it difficult to learn to live in peace? Travel to Benburb Priory and discover how entertainment can communicate a spiritual message.

This Catholic Priory is perhaps an unexpected hub for Cultural Revolution in Ireland. In the late 1960s and early 1970s these Servites gave a platform to the struggle of ideas erupting in a country eager for change. Their literary review encouraged a bold exploration of ideas with ‘no neat agenda just an urge to stir things up’. You can experience their cross-community pageant as Christopher Fitz-Simon explains the process of this experimental hybrid of radio and theatre. 
 

Notes

Terence McDonald (1926 – 2001) was a teacher, film historian, film collector and a pioneering amateur filmmaker from Derry. He made 35 films in his lifetime covering a wide range of themes such as mental health, travelling theatre, and portraits of his home town, Derry. His playful fiction films often pay homage to classic cinema moments from Peyton Place to Potemkin, from Chaplin to Jacques Tati. Terence McDonald undertook all aspects of production - filming, sound recording and editing and produced a body of remarkably sophisticated work. This film is courtesy of his son, Peter McDonald.

Credits

A Fairview Films production

Directed by Terence Mc Donald

Produced by Terence Mc Donald

Written by Gerry Wills

Interviewee: Christopher Fitzsimmons

Musical Performance: Dana

Digitised as part of Unlocking Film Heritage

Links

Related Videos