“ceann do na scanáinn faisnéise ís suntasach don fichiú haois” …
“one of the most significant Irish documentaries of the 20th century” …

THE IRISH TIMES

An t’Oileánach a d’Fhill / Return of the Islander

a film by Jim Mulkerns

A labour of love inspired by the American cinematic master Robert Flaherty, the short film “Return of the Islander/An tOileánach a d’Fhill”, was written and directed by Jim Mulkerns (with funding from Roinn na Gaelteachta) in 1969, is now in a digitally-remastered format.

Long listed for the Academy Awards in 1970, the film takes a documentary approach, but delivers a fictional storyline based on contemporary real-life issues. Filmed entirely on the Aran Islands, the film’s stunning cinematography captures the islands’ rugged natural beauty. There were no professional actors involved: a young fisherman, Michael Ó Connghaile, played the lead role as “The Islander.” Roibeard Ó Goill (the man on the cliff), Diarmuid Ó Goill and Máire Ní Dhioráin played the other main roles, with Máire de Burca of Co Galway in the role of Micheál’s wife. Máire (the little girl in the 1969 film), is the grand-daughter of Maggie Dirrane of Flaherty’s “Man Of Aran”.

Originally filmed and released in the Irish language, in 2011 the documentary was digitally re-mastered with sub-titles in English, with assistance from TG4 and the Irish Film Institute.  It is available now on DVD and includes a bilingual booklet detailing the full story of the production.

For more information, see:  www.JimMulkerns.com  and for orders, please phone Helena directly at:  086-20-20-289 or email editor@cyberscribe.eu