Born in 1936 Fr Michael Collins was ordained in Rome in 1960 and went on to spend fifty years working in the Diocese of Derry. He could be often heard on BBC Radio Ulster’s Thought for the Day programme, contributing over 100 pieces. His passion for capturing parish life on film was mirrored in his love of photography, and his book of archive photographs, Travellers in Time and Eternity was published in 2013.
Terence McDonald (1926 - 2001) was a teacher, film historian, film collector and pioneering filmmaker from Derry.
McDonald made 35 films in his lifetime, covering a broad range of themes and genre; be it unflinching documentaries or slapstick comedies, explorations of mental health or of travelling theatre. Often, however, it was his hometown, Derry, that was the focus of his attention - the city vividly portrayed in A City Solitary and City of Londonderry.
A true cinephile, his artful works of fiction nod to classic cinema, referencing the likes of Peyton Place and Battleship Potemkin, Charlie Chaplin and Jacques Tati.
A truly independent filmmaker, he undertook all aspects of production - filming, sound recording and editing - producing a body of boldly imaginative, technically sophisticated and award-winning work. Along the way he would work with the likes of John Hume and Father Edward (later Bishop) Daly.