The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
On-screen love letter to Kerry landscape making waves in US
KERRY NATIVE DIRECTOR FAILED TO GET SUPPORT FOR FILM AT HOME IN IRELAND
IT is winning acclaim in the States with endorsements from actors as famous as Susan Sarandon and Rosario Dawson, but there are few in the county of its stunning landscapes yet au fait with
The Uncountable Laughter of the Sea.
That could be about to change fast as its Ballyheigue native director Patrick O’Neill (a brother of fashion designer Don) prepares for a special screening at home, however.
A song of praise to the Kerry landscape it so lovingly captures in celluloid, The Uncountable was in large part inspired by famous Dingle cleric Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta.
“The central question of the film circles around the age old philosophical question ‘what is the good life?” Patrick told The Kerryman.
And Patrick sets out with his friend Msgr Ó Fiannachta for answers through some of our county’s greatest spots - from the Skelligs to the remarkable Yew in the cloister of Muckross Abbey.
A meditation on nature and our place in it, spirituality and the lessons of the early Celtic Church and so much more, it left audiences dazzled at screenings in New York and LA recently - winning fans in Susan Sarandon and Rosario Dawson to name but two. The trailer, available on Youtube, gives a wonderful taste of the film’s power.
“The Uncountable Laughter of The Sea is a cinematic journey and poetic meditation on such things as peace of mind, serenity, sustainability, and loss. It was shot in Kerry and has as its centre language, landscape and light, with distinguished linguist, scholar and poet Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta our guide,” Patrick explained.
Patrick is struggling to secure backing for the film in this country. however. His attempts to get the Department of the Arts and television companies interested failed, he said.
But he persevered and with an Italian film crew and co-director Paris Kain, Patrick went out and lovingly captured Kerry at its best.
He is now bringing it all back home for audiences here to enjoy, starting with a special screening in the Omniplex in Tralee later this month (date to be confirmed) before screenings across the county.
The Kerryman understands that a distribution deal that will see The Uncountable supported by the likes of Deepak Chopra and Russell Brand is close to being struck as interest rockets.