Rocky Road to Dublin Documentary
NAME REGISSEUR
Peter Lennon – Dublin, Ireland
Freelance writer with the London Guardian. Also worked for the London Sunday Times, Guardian Paris correspondent in the 1960s and the Irish Times.
Married and living in London.
Paul Duane (Director of 'The Making of Rocky Road“)
Irish born producer/director whose films include „LSD'73“ (written by Patrick McCabe)
Also involved with documentary about the cult music book „It came from Memphis“
Bio-Filmographie
In 1967 Irish man Peter Lennon ( Journalist cum Director), brought the legendary French „Nouvelle Vague“ director of photography Raoul Coutard to Dublin. Here they interviewed and filmed a large cross section of the local community ( hypocritical clergy, brain-washed students, patriotic sportsmen) to convey the truth about a repressed, suppressed and censored Republic of Ireland. The film doesn't explicitly cast judgement on Irish society rather it lets the viewers draw their own conclusions from the interviewee's responses to sometimes pointed questions.
Rocky Road was premiered and acclaimed at the aborted Cannes Film Festival 1968. Due to its cutting truths about the deficiencies of the then Irish hierarchy it was suppressed by the „Establishment“ and never received widespread viewing within the country. It was finally broadcast by Irish Television in 2006, 38years later.
Now it is being distributed and seen at Film Festivals all over the world.
„The Making of Rocky Road“ is a companion documentary (29 minutes) that will be screened before „Rocky Road to Dublin“.
It contains unique footage of France’s legendary cameraman, Raoul Coutard, shooting Rocky Road in Dublin in 1967, an event not yet recorded by film dictionaries.
Its director Peter Duane gets Lennon and Coutard to tell the hidden story behind their wonderful documentary. It has rarely seen footage of Lennon confronting Cannes's Godard and Truffaut in their decision to abandon the 1968 Festival. A modern day primary school student is also asked some questions on religious teaching-which were all learnt by rote four decades ago. His answers highlight how much this society has changed during the intervening years.
Filme
Rocky Road was first film work, but he plans to continue in documentary film making.
ORIGINALTITEL
„Rocky Road to Dublin“ (1968, 69 Minutes )
'The Making of Rocky Road“ (2004, 29 Minutes)
DEUTSCHER TITEL
„Rocky Road to Dublin“
Inhalt Contents:
A documentary in which Peter Lennon and acclaimed French cinematographer Raoul Coutard give an insightful (and indeed prophetic ) view on the psyche of Republic of Ireland's in the late 1960s. The country was under the all dominating influence of the Catholic Church in every aspect of it political, social, cultural and sporting life with little real political will from the then governments to embrace the changes that were sweeping Europe.
Rocky Road to Dublin is a very accurate and excellently made social and historical work that allows us understand the recent background of the modern Ireland.
Synopsis Synop
“One of the three or four most beautiful documents that the cinema has given us”
1968 Cahiers Du Cinema (Paris)
Lennon's film shows how hypocritical, backward and inward looking much, if not all, of the country‘s established controlling heirarchies were during late 1960s. Their lives are very different from the Celtic Tiger Ireland of the past decade. Back then women were just beginning to be accepted within the hallowed ground of the male dominated pubs, players of indigenous sports ( Gaelic Football & hurling ) were banned from participating in „foreign „ sports e.g. Soccer or Rugby and school kids recited religious mantra with fervour!
Using beautiful camera work and very little leading commentary or questions this documentary empowers the Interviewees to freely express their opinions and outline the controlling influences and effects of the society within which they lived.
Pressestimmen Press Articles
„Seen today 'Rocky Road to Dublin' is an exemplary fusion of poetic journalism and first rate cinematography whose beguiling, revelatory powers have in no way diminished“
The Daily Telegraph 16th September 2005.
„Rocky Road to Dublin...still has a blazing raw energy, coupled with shrewd insight“
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian 16th September 2005
„Rocky Road to Dublin..a gritty, none-too-subtle expose of of a confessional state held fast in the grip of a smugly ignorant, overweening clergy.. Utterly heartbreaking, horribly compelling“
John Banville (Winner Man Booker Prize), The Times Sept 2005
LAND JAHR · FORMAT mm · FARBE · LÄNGE min · SPRACHVERSION
Irland 1968, 2004
Digital DVD
Black/White & Colour
Ingesampt (69 min + 29min ) 98 min
English (with French sub-titles )
Rocky Road to Dublin
Regie: Peter lennon
Drehbuch:Peter Lennon
Kamera: Raoul Coutard, Georges Liron
Schnitt: Lila Biro, Philippe Delesalle
Ton: Tom Curran
Produktion: Victor Herbert
Verleih:Peter Lennon,
Rocky Lennon Productions Ltd,
3 Bickerton Road,
London N19 5JU,
Tel +44 (0) 20 7272 9059
Email: peter.lennon@freeuk.com, OR peter.lennon@guardian.co.uk
Making of Rocky Road to Dublin
Regie: Paul Duane
Drehbuch: Peter Lennon
Kamera: Micheal O Donovan, Mary Farbrother
Schnitt: Se Merry Doyle
Ton: Joe Haughy
Licht: Tom Comerford
Produktion: A Loopline Production, Dublin Ireland in association with The Irish Film Archive Supported by the Irish Film Board
Verleih:
Peter Lennon,
Rocky Lennon Productions Ltd,
3 Bickerton Road,
London N19 5JU,
Tel +44 (0) 20 7272 9059
Email: peter.lennon@freeuk.com, OR peter.lennon@guardian.co.uk
Rocky Road to Dublin can be acquired on DVD from WWW SODAPICTURES.COM
kurzer Text für die Homepage (ca. 2 Zeilen):
The lost snapshot of Ireland in the late 1960s that ‚they‘ didn‘t want you to see.
In association with St Kilians Irish Sports Club ( www.stkilians.de ) " Rocky Road to Dublin " appears at the Wü International Film Festival.
In Zusammenhang mit St Kilians Irish Hurling & Football Club ( www.stkilians.de ) " Rocky Road to Dublin " kommt zu der Wü International Filmfest.
