Last weekend a North Clare film received its world premier at the Berlin Irish Film Festival. The film, which is entitled Tabhair Aire Do na hÉin or Remember to Feed the Birds, was written by Gary Hetzler from the Corkscrew Hill, shot entirely in the Burren and stars North Clare musician, storyteller and actor Aindrias de Staic.
The film, which was shot last summer in Clare, was a hit at the German festival over the weekend and hopes are now high that it will do well on the Irish festival circuit this year. According to producer Alanna MacNamee, hopes are high that it will be screened at a location in Clare in the near future.
The film was made using funding from Clare County Council under the Engine Short Film Competition.
“The film was written by Gary and was very much inspired by an experience that he had during Covid 19, and I think that the remoteness and loneliness of the Burren landscape would have been inspiration for him,” she told The Clare Champion.
“It tells the story of a widower who is coming to terms with the death of his wife. It is a story about grief, loss and acceptance, and also the idea that, even in death, that true love lives on.
“We are very proud to be the first Irish language film funded under the scheme. It was very nice to be part of a movement in Irish cinema at the moment with successes like An Cailín Ciúin, Foscadh and now the Kneecap film.
“It feels like Irish language film is having a moment so it is so exciting for us to be part of that moment. It really is great to be able to tell a story in our native language in such a beautiful landscape as the Burren.
“It was a really special project to be a part of. The Burren was a great place to shoot, it is a cinematographer’s dream. You have the beautiful karst landscape, looking down on the Atlantic Ocean below and all the flora and fauna as well.”
Hopes are now high that the film will be taken up by a number of Irish film festivals and will also be screened locally in Clare in the very near future.
“The film was really well received. It was playing as part of a selection of short films from the Mid-West of Ireland so it was in really good company. The screening went really well,” said Alanna.
“A big part of going over there was not just to show this film to an international audience, but also to forge links between Limerick and Clare and places like Berlin. That is an amazing opportunity for us.
“We are really keen to share this film with people. We would love to be able to show it in Clare and Limerick in festivals there, so that all our cast and crew can get an opportunity to see it on the big screen.
“It would be great for everyone involved to be able to see it in their local area, just a stone’s throw from the magical landscape of the Burren in which it was shot.
“Our plan now is to hit the festival circuit all around Ireland and hopefully come to a festival in Clare soon.”
This film is also unique in that all of the talent and professional services needed to make it were sourced in the Munster area, with a large portion of the crew coming from Clare and Limerick.
“I can’t say enough good things about working with local people in Clare and Limerick. We used local composers, the editor, the colour grader, it really was a Munster project, with a real Clare and Limerick feel to it,” said Alanna.
“It is great to see that we can make stories about where we come from and those stories can be made by local people. You don’t always have to go to Dublin or London or where ever to make it. There are amazing stories in the Mid-West of Ireland and we have the really talented film-makers and writers here to make them.”
Tabhair Aire Do na hÉin also features performances by Rita Guthrie and was directed by Sohaila Lindheim.
The crew included Alex Leahy, Cara Digpal, Noreen Bingham, Shane Costello, Shane Joyce, Darragh O’Flanagan, Andrej Pacher, Jack Desmond, Sean Maher, Diarmuid Hartney, Éamon MacNamee and Janis James.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.