The Arts Council and TG4 are delighted to announce that, following an open competition, the submission from Paula Kehoe of Saoi Media has been selected as the feature documentary for the Splanc! arts documentary scheme.
In her work, Paula will collaborate with poet Louis de Paor and performance artist Maureen Fleming to explore the poetic imagination of Máire Mhac an tSaoi, one of the most important and influential writers in Irish in the last hundred years.
Fionnuala Sweeney, Head of Film at the Arts Council, said: "The Arts Council is delighted to partner with TG4 to support this ambitious documentary by Paula Kehoe. Máire Mhac an tSaoi is one of the most significant writers of her generation and this film promises to be a suitably creative exploration of her poetry and her place in the Irish literary canon".
Proinsias Ní Ghráinne, Commissioning Editor TG4, said: "We're delighted that this particular project has been selected, given the status and quality of of Máire Mhac an tSaoi's poetic output and the vibrant imagination of those directly involved. We look forward to seeing the result and have no doubt it will enhance our channel's reputation for adapting the rich tradition of Irish literature for a screen-friendly generation." She recalled also the quality and range of previous Irish language screen projects created by this scheme, including the award-winning
Concerto Chaitlín Maude and
Ponydance.
Paula Kehoe is an Irish Australian filmmaker who has spent over fifteen years living and working in Ireland. She has a diverse background in the creative arts and has written, produced and directed television programmes and series for RTÉ and TG4, BBC Scotland and Current TV in the US.
Paula's work in creative documentary is informed by an interest in social justice, the environment, language and culture. She produced and directed
An Dubh ina Gheal (Assimilation)
featuring Louis de Paor who also collaborated with her as co-writer. The documentary explores the relationship between indigenous Australians and the Irish in Australia.
Splanc!
Splanc! is a joint initiative of the Arts Council and TG4 and in 2014 was re-designed to support the making of landmark documentaries on the arts in Irish. The new documentary film will be exhibited theatrically before its broadcast on TG4 in late 2015.
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