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Astray

(Johnny Gogan, 2011)

Sweeney (Cillian Rogers), an actor - has gone awol and abandoned the theatre company with whom he toiled, but is pursued by fellow actor Lynch (Ciarán McCauley) who can’t decide whether to tell Sweeney’s ex partner Eorann (Kellie Hughes) that Sweeney is away with the birds.

Commissioned to make a film celebrating Sligo’s arts community and landscape I chose as the narrative device a pocket adaptation of the medieval epic Buile Shuibhne (as translated by Séamus Heaney in Sweeney Astray in 1983). Carnival artist Cillian Rogers, as the out-of-control medieval warrior condemned to become a bird of the air, was in Séamus Heaney’s words “the perfect fit” for the challenging role when he saw the rough cut. Shot against the backdrop of existing cultural events such as The Warriors’ Run, Sligo Races and Eagles Flying the film also foregrounds the work of Sligo stalwarts Blue Raincoat Theatre Company, painter Michael Wann and musical legend Steve Wickham.

Astray marked the beginning of a number of north-west collaborations, including the visual artist and curator Linda Shevlin, Director of Photography Peter Martin, the aforementioned Steve Wickham and Lighting man Niall Flynn. It was edited by Patrick O’Rourke, one of ten collaborations with Patrick over the past decade.

RTE picked up the promotional film for its Shortscreen series.