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| Analogue People in a Digital Age |
Said pints appear in the fun
documentary Analogue People in a Digital Age (Dir. Keith Walsh, 13 min.)
alongside some pints of Harp and a colourful (very colourful) cast of pub
dwellers. The difference between Guinness and Harp might be astronomical for
seasoned beer drinkers, but nothing quite compares to the difference between
digital television and analogue telly for these hearty barflies. Unlike most Canadian
pubs where TVs and hockey games cover every wall, there’s nary a TV to be seen
as director Keith Walsh interviews the patrons of a local dive on the day that
Irish broadcasters make the switch from analogue waves to digital
transmissions, and these old school drinkers (some of whom are hilariously
loaded) ponder the existential questions proffered by this newfangled
technology. “Such is life,” one drinker observes before ordering another round.
Many of the men don’t even understand the difference between the two
technologies, while others babble and slur about extraterrestrial encounters or
simply stare past the horizon of their pint glass. What Walsh humorously finds,
though, is the undeniable pleasure of human company that occupies a smaller and
smaller place as technology grows and becomes the focal point in most family
rooms. Doesn’t a night at the pub offer much cheerier spirits?
A real holy spirit walks the walk
and talks the talk in the amusing I am Jesus (Dir. Kevin Cassidy, 7
min.), which is a droll observational spoof on a Dubliner who’s down with
G-O-D. An unholy barrage of puns and cheeky blasphemy make I am Jesus devilishly fun. The final title cards advertise that no
Jesuses (is it Jesii?) were harmed during the making the making of the film,
and the subtlety of that joke is the best punch line a non-believer could ask
for. Preach!
Careful What You Wish For (Dir. Myles O’Reilly) sings a different tune as this music video
for BellXI finds some hypnotic visuals in the simple contrast of black and
white. Paint, skin, and glowing light conjure ghostly images to complement the
cautionary tale of the haunting song. The animated Irish/Russian co-pro Anya
(Dir. Damien O’Connor, 5 min.), on the other hand, takes the programme in a
different direction as it raises spirits with the attitude that nothing is
impossible. Anya provides a brisk,
warming glimpse into the life of one girl whose life has been saved by love and
kindness, and O’Connor’s turn from animation to live action situates the film
in reality. It’s sharp and poignant.
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| I've Been a Sweeper |
Equally poignant is the poetic
drama I’ve Been a Sweeper (Dir. Ciarán Dooley, 12 min.), which
follows one elderly broomsman on the last day of his life. Eamon Morrissey
plays the observant sweeper who reflects on his life in well-versed voiceover
as he goes from pub to pub, clearing away the crumbs from the night before—left
by pint drinkers debate digital versus analogue, no doubt!—and enjoying a nip
in between. Dooley brings out the life in Morrisey’s wistful, likable
performance with the help of Eamonn Murphy’s crisp, bright, and warm
cinematography. A lust for life glows in every frame of I’ve Been a Sweeper and it’s as fine a film as any to warm the
spirit with today’s added dose of daylight.
The TIRFF shorts screen at TIFF Lightbox on Sunday March 8 at
4:00pm.
Please visit torontoirishfilmfestival.com
for more information.
I've
Been A Sweeper from Eamonn Murphy on
Vimeo.
