Sinead O’Shea’s stark documentary for Al Jazeera investigates the number of children who died in the state’s care during the 2000’s and the neglect and abuse faced by children in its care services. “I think that the HSE is essentially a busted flush in dealing with children’s services. The HSE has been a grossly dissfunctional agency right across the health service. It’s been a disaster in the childcare area.” … Read More
#rabbleReels: Conventos De Vergüenza.
Conventos De Vergüenza is a documentary produced by French filmmakers in 1998 with a title that translates as convents of shame. It reveals through interviews with survivors how tens of thousands of ordinary young women and girls were condemned to exile within their own country, Ireland. Most of them were ‘unmarried mothers’, many others orphans. In the eyes of the Catholic Ireland of their time, they were sinners. One of the interviewees, a woman called … Read More
#rabbleReels: Gralton, Grabbers and Gramophones.
As Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall makes its way through cinemas, here’s a little known doc that recalls the dances, politics and classes that took place in the hall. Apparently it had one of the first gramophones in the country. One Youtube commentator, Edwina Guckian recalled how she showed the documentary to her 95 year old grandfather who grew up around Effrinagh: He was at Drumsna mass that day Fr. Cosgrove … Read More
#rabbleReels: Calling Cornwall
Did you know Aphex Twin was once a miner and used his dosh to buy analog gear to make techno? Find out more tid bits in this old Channel 4 TV show, which features John Peel on the road visiting some pit where protestant radical John Wesley lorded it up as an Aphex Twin of the 18th century (probably a large stretch of the imagination). He also meets Luke Vibert … Read More
#rabbleReels: Driven
Phelim Drew burns with on-screen intensity in this short burst of film-making that lands blow after blow on Ireland’s corporate lackies. Meet Thomas, a man in his mid-forties who shits bricks as each bill piles up high with nothing coming in and imminent eviction brewing. Directed by Ian Thullier, this features a wonderful monologue about unregulated cowboys and a political class that twiddled their fingers while Ireland fell on its knees. If … Read More
#rabbleReels: Do Ye Love Dublin?
Dublin is a city that divides opinion. Grey shit hole or bubbling cultural hub or something else entirely? This twenty minute piece chats to the many that moved here and absolutely love the bleeding place. It won last year’s St Patrick Special Prize at the Eat Myshorts “I LOVE MY CITY” Showcase last year. It’s a cut above the usual Paddy whackery and revels in Dublin’s diversity. See eatmyshortsfestival.com
#rabbleReels: Remembering Orgreave
On the 12th March 1984 the NUM declared a National Strike in Britain. The pits may be shut but the strike is still an open wound for many. Memories of the Battle for Orgreave linger on. The Truth and Justice Campaign still hammers away to expose what happened that day. With plenty of evidence emerging of a mass cover up of police actions. Those identical officer statements used to lock miners away being … Read More
#rabbleReels: Self Publishers Of The World Unite.
Just when you thought social media and online blogs had decapitated the many headed hydra of zine culture – the photocopied bastards prove their resilience. In Dublin this rebirth of zine culture can be seen around the edges of your Saturday flea markets or hipster crafts fair, with stalls hawking their self-published wares. There’s even been two or three specific zine fairs in Dublin in recent memory. Things seem busy … Read More
#rabbleReels: The War At Home
The award winning documentary The House I Live In travels the US in search of answers to questions about the War on Drugs and what it has done to America. Since 1971 the War on Drugs has cost at least $1Trillion and $45 million arrests. In reality it is a war on America’s poor. There are over 2.3 million Americans in prison, many on mandatory sentencing for minor drug violations … Read More
#rabbleReels: The Missing Indigenous Women of Canada
The story of missing or murdered indigenous women of Canada is regarded as one of the country’s ongoing shames. As Indigenous rights are coming more into the spotlight here are two videos to explain the situation. The first short video above is a report into the disappearance of Tiffany Morrisson. The second film, Go Home, Baby Girl, is a feature-length documentary of the story of one Indigenous family’s struggle for justice … Read More