May 2016 NUI Galway Hosts Major International Conference on 1916, Cinema and Revolution

How have the 1916 Rising and other revolutions – from France, to Greece, Romania, Russia and Cuba – being depicted in cinema? What impact did the Rising have on early Irish cinema? What role did women play in the emergence of this cinema? These are some of the questions to be examined as part of a major international conference on 1916, Cinema and Revolution to be held from 25-27 May at NUI Galway.

The conference is part of NUI Galway’s programme of events to commemorate the 1916 Rising and will he hosted by NUI Galway’s Huston School of Film and Digital Media. 1916 marked the establishment of Ireland’s first indigenous film company, The Film Company of Ireland, whose co-founder James Mark Sullivan was arrested after the Rising and charged with complicity. Events in that year and subsequently have featured in a range of cinematic and televisual productions while there is also a significant international dimension to the relationship between revolutionary history and cinema.

This conference will consider aspects of the representation of the Rising, as well as other revolutionary moments in Irish and world history. Plenary speakers will include leading experts on revolutionary and Irish cinema including: acclaimed filmmaker and academic Professor Michael Chanan, University of Roehampton; seminal film scholar Professor Charles Barr, Emeritus Professor, University of East Anglia; leading authority on early Irish cinema Dr Denis Condon, Maynooth University; and prominent contributors to Irish film, theatre studies, and visual culture such as Dr Díóg O Connell, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology; Professor Adrian Frazier, Emeritus Professor, NUI Galway; and Dr Catherine Morris, University of Liverpool.

In addition to the presentations, the conference will also feature screenings of relevant films from the revolutionary period in Ireland, including John Ford's adaptation of O’Casey’s classic play, The Plough and the Stars, as well as a special screening of the documentary 1916: The Irish Rebellion, which will be followed by an interview with the film’s writer and producer, Professor Bríona Nic Dhiarmada. The conference will also include a screening of the major production of the Film Company of Ireland, Knocknagow which will be accompanied by a specially arranged accompaniment by Irish pianist Morgan Cooke. The conference will close with a screening of Michael Chanan’s The American Who Electrified Russia, a film concerning the extraordinary story of Solomon Trone (1872-1969), the communist revolutionary who became a director for General Electric (first in Russia, then the USA).

Conference co-director and Lecturer with NUI Galway’s Huston School for Film and Digital Media, Dr Seán Crosson said: “We are delighted with the response to our call for papers on the topic of 1916, Cinema and Revolution. The 1916 Rising coincided with a vibrant period of film production in Ireland and it is important for us to reflect on this legacy and indeed the impact of the Rising on film subsequently. This is the only conference in Ireland this year dedicated to the topic of 1916 and cinema and it provides a unique opportunity to consider not just depictions of the Rising but also on how this moment connects with depictions of other revolutionary moments internationally, including in the US, France, Russia and Latin America.”

A full programme of events during the conference is available online at http://www.conference.ie/Conferences/menu.asp?menu=2080&Conference=463. Attendance at the conference and all related events is free and all queries should be directed to sean.crosson@nuigalway.ie or 091 495687.

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1916, an tÉirí Amach sna Scannáin - Comhdháil mhór idirnáisiúnta ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh

Cén chaoi a léirítear Éirí Amach 1916 agus réabhlóidí eile – cosúil leis an Fhrainc, an Ghréig, an Rómáin, an Rúis agus Cúba – sna scannáin? Cén tionchar a bhí ag an Éirí Amach ar scannánaíocht luath-Éireannach? Cén ról a bhí ag mná i dteacht chun cinn na scannánaíochta seo? Sin roinnt de na ceisteanna a bheidh á scrúdú mar chuid de mhór-chomhdháil faoi 1916, an tÉirí Amach sna Scannáin a bheidh ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh idir an 25-27 Bealtaine.

Tá an chomhdháil mar chuid de chlár imeachtaí atá leagtha amach ag OÉ Gaillimh chun ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar Éirí Amach 1916 agus is í Scoil Scannán agus Meán Digiteach Huston atá á reáchtáil. Is i 1916 a bunaíodh an chéad chompántas scannán in Éirinn, The Film Company of Ireland; gabhadh comhbhunaitheoir an chompántais, James Mark Sullivan, tar éis an Éirí Amach agus cúisíodh é i gcomhpháirteachas. Léiríodh imeachtaí na bliana sin agus ina dhiaidh sin i réimse léiriúchán scannán agus teilifíse; tá gné shuntasach idirnáisiúnta ag baint leis an gcaidreamh idir stair réabhlóideach agus scannánaíocht.

Pléifidh an chomhdháil seo gnéithe den léiriú a dhéantar ar an Éirí Amach, mar aon le tráthanna réabhlóideacha eile i stair na hÉireann agus an domhain. I measc na gcainteoirí beidh saineolaithe mór le rá ar an scannánaíocht réabhlóideach agus ar scannánaíocht na hÉireann lena n-áirítear: an scannánóir agus an fear léinn clúiteach, an tOllamh Michael Chanan, Ollscoil Roehampton; an scoláire scannán ceannródaíoch, an tOllamh Charles Barr, Ollamh Emeritus, Ollscoil East Anglia; príomhúdarás ar scannánaíocht luath-Éireannach, an Dr Denis Condon, Ollscoil Mhá Nuad; agus daoine mór le rá i saol na scannán, i léann na hamharclannaíochta, agus sa chultúr físiúil cosúil leis an Dr Díóg O Connell, Institiúid Ealaíne, Deartha agus Teicneolaíochta Dhún Laoghaire; an tOllamh Adrian Frazier, Ollamh Emeritus, OÉ Gaillimh; agus an Dr Catherine Morris, Ollscoil Learphoill.

Mar aon leis na láithreoireachtaí, taispeánfar scannáin chuí ón tréimhse réabhlóideach in Éirinn ag an gcomhdháil, lena n-áirítear athchóiriú John Ford ar dhráma clasaiceach O’Casey, The Plough and the Stars (1936), agus léiriú speisialta den chlár faisnéise 1916: The Irish Rebellion, agus beidh agallamh ina dhiaidh sin le scríbhneoir agus léiritheoir an scannáin, an tOllamh Bríona Nic Dhiarmada. Ag an gcomhdháil freisin taispeánfar oll-léiriú de chuid an Film Company of Ireland, Knocknagow (1918) agus beidh tionlacan leis atá cumtha go speisialta ag an bpianódóir Éireannach Morgan Cooke.

Dúirt comhstiúrthóir na comhdhála agus Léachtóir i Scoil Scannán agus Meán Digiteach Huston, an Dr Seán Crosson: “Tá an-áthas orainn leis an bhfreagra a fuaireamar ar an ngairm ar pháipéir ar an ábhar 1916, an tÉirí Amach sna Scannáin. Tharla Éirí Amach 1916 ag am ina raibh beocht ar leith i léiriú scannán in Éirinn agus tá sé tábhachtach go smaoineoimis ar an oidhreacht seo agus go deimhin ar thionchar an Éirí Amach ar scannánaíocht ina dhiaidh sin. Is í seo an t-aon chomhdháil atá ar siúl in Éirinn i mbliana atá dírithe ar 1916 agus scannánaíocht agus tugann sé deis uathúil dúinn machnamh a dhéanamh ní hamháin ar an léiriú a rinneadh ar an Éirí Amach ach freisin ar phointí ama réabhlóideacha eile go hidirnáisiúnta, lena n-áirítear sna Stáit Aontaithe, an Fhrainc, an Rúis agus Meiriceá Laidineach.”

Tá clár iomlán d’imeachtaí na comhdhála ar fáil ar líne ar http://www.conference.ie/Conferences/menu.asp?menu=2080&Conference=463.

Tá an chomhdháil agus na himeachtaí gaolmhara ar fad saor in aisce agus ba cheart aon cheist a chur ar aghaidh chuig sean.crosson@nuigalway.ie nó 091 495687.

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