November 2016 NUI Galway Journalism Tutor Wins Best Documentary Award

‘Fís na Fuiseoige’, a film by NUI Galway Journalism tutor Aodh Ó Coileáin, was awarded the 2016 Best Documentary Award at the Irish Film Festival London last night. Aodh teaches Journalism through Irish on the undergraduate Bachelor of Arts (Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge) programme at NUI Galway. He also teaches Journalism through Irish on the new subject Léann na Cumarsáide in the general Bachelor of Arts programme.

‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ will be broadcasted on TG4 tonight (Tuesday, 15 November) at 9.30pm.

Receiving the award at the Irish Embassy in London, Aodh said: “It is an honour to be selected for this award in the centenary year of the Easter Rising. The rebellion was the culmination of a cultural renaissance, a reawakening of old myths, sagas and traditions, many of them attached to the land of Ireland and surviving for thousands of years. I hope ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ and this award will inspire students and those seeking to tell stories in new media, on different platforms, with ever developing technologies and methods of reaching people.”

‘Fís na Fuiseoige’, written and directed by Aodh Ó Coileáin, premiered to critical acclaim at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival. The film won Best Cinematography at the Earth Day Film Festival in San Francisco last April, and this year has screened at a film festival in Chicago and at the Irish Arts Centre in New York.

The focus of ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ is the love for the home-place as reflected in poetry and literature in Irish. In Ireland, landscape is not just geography, but a mnemonic for literature and poetry. Landscape and stories are inseparable.

“Aodh Ó Coileáin’s beautifully intimate portrait of language and place is a reminder again of the importance of the language in the Gaelic Revival, the cultural rebellion that was the catalyst for the later rebellion. In serving as a pool of traditions that were lost under anglicization, the language was used as a means of re-imagining, of conceiving of a new identity,” said Seán Finnan, Film Ireland.

The film was produced by Colm Hogan and Dr Marina L. Levitina of Counterpoint Films, and funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and TG4.

Media courses offered by NUI Galway through its Irish-language academy, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, include BA Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge (GY122); the subject Léann na Cumarsáide on BA – Joint Honours (GY101) and the MA sa Chumarsáid (GYA93).

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Gradam don Scannán Faisnéise is Fearr Bronnta ar Theagascóir an Acadaimh

Bronnadh an Gradam don Scannán Faisnéise is Fearr ag Féile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain ar ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ le hAodh Ó Coileáin ag ócáid in Ambasáid na hÉireann sa Bhreatain i Londain aréir. Teagascóir iriseoireachta le hAcadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, in OÉ Gaillimh is ea Aodh. Bíonn sé ag teagasc ar an gcéim BA Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge agus ar an ábhar nua Léann na Cumarsáide sa chéim ghinearálta sna dána BA (Comhonóracha) atá ar fáil ar champas na hOllscoile i nGaillimh.

Craolfar ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ ar TG4 anocht (Dé Máirt, 15 Samhain) ag 9.30pm.

Ag glacadh leis an gradam dúirt Aodh: “Cúis áthais faoi leith gur i mbliana agus Éirí Amach na Cásca á chomóradh, a bronnadh an gradam seo ar ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’. Toradh ar athbheochan cultúir a bhí san Éirí Amach, athmhuscailt na scéalta agus na dtraidisiún a bhain le talamh na hÉireann. Mhair an t-ábhar seo thar na mílte bliain agus tá súil agam go spreagfaidh ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ agus an gradam seo mic léinn agus daoine eile tabhairt faoi na scéalta seo a insint ar mheáin nua, le teicneolaíocht atá de shíor ag forbairt, i mbealaí úra an lucht féachana a aimsiú.”

Tá aird na léirmheastóirí ar an scannán ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’, a scríobh agus a stiúir Aodh Ó Coileáin. Bronnadh gradam don Chineamatagrafaíocht ab Fhearr air ag Féile Scannán Lá na Cruinne in San Francisco i mí Aibreáin. Bhí an scannán le feiceáil ag féile i Chicago an mhí seo caite. Taispeánadh é don chéad uair ag Féile Idirnáisiúnta Scannán Bhaile Átha Cliath i mí Feabhra, agus ag ócáid in Ionad Ealaíon na hÉireann, Nua-Eabhrac i mí Aibreáin.

Sa scannán ‘Fís na Fuiseoige’ pléitear an dáimh le dúthaigh a mhúnlaigh an tsamhlaíocht liteartha Ghaelach agus an féinaitheantas Éireannach ón gcianaimsir anuas. 

“Léiríonn portráid álainn dúthaigh agus teanga Aodh Uí Choileáin an tábhacht a bhain leis an nGaeilge san athbheochan, an réabhlóid chultúrtha sin a tháinig roimh Éirí Amach na Cásca.  Úsáideadh scata traidisiún a bhí ceangailte leis an nGaeilge, a bhí caillte i ngalldú na tíre chun féinaitheantas nua a shamhlú,” a dúirt Seán Finnan, Film Ireland.

Ba iad Colm Hogan agus an Dr Marina L. Levitina, Counterpoint Films, a léirigh an scannán, a mhaoinigh Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann agus TG4. 

Ar na filí iomráiteacha atá páirteach sa scannán tá: Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Biddy Jenkinson, Cathal Ó Searcaigh, Louis de Paor, Paddy Bush, Gearóid Mac Lochlainn agus Jackie Mac Donncha.

Ar na cúrsaí cumarsáide a chuireann an tAcadamh ar fáil in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh tá BA Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge (GY122), an t-ábhar Léann na Cumarsáide ar BA – Comhonóracha (GY101) agus MA sa Chumarsáid (GYA93).

-Críoch-