Everyone seems to have a story to tell, and everyone seems to have this particular desire to tell it.

It is this emotion, transformation, and desire that I wish to capture, as my main motivation, with this film.

I believe that there is a terrible force of story-telling power, relating to this subject, this passionate love affair between Irish people and their cinema, that is waiting to be released and that will be instantly recognised, appreciated, and understood. The individual stories that we will hear are all variations on one grand collective, national story, that so far has remained largely hidden and buried, or only shared on a personal or local level. I am proposing to mine the emotional and storytelling potential of the country with this project, and also share it on a national level, with a major cinema premiere, a theatrical run, a well-publicized television event, and an associated internet campaign that should outlast the film and itself serve as a kind of reference and archive, useful for heritage purposes. It’s an ambitious project.

The visual style of the storytelling should thus be at the service of the storytellers themselves. I do not wish to pre-establish any visual style for the on-screen witnesses, because, by definition, we will go out and get them “wherever they can be got” and in the environment which is most comfortable and natural for the speakers. There will be people on their own, or with friends, or in groups, at home, on the street, outside cinemas, in social clubs, church meetings, schools… the variety of the type of footage we will juxtapose itself defines the kind of style to expect. It will be varied, and it will be lively. The stories themselves should be spontaneous, emotional, fun or sad, nostalgic or clinical, in any case passionate, and these qualities in themselves dictate an organic visual style, which should suit the material.

There will be a few formally stylistic passages, or what critics refer to as “set pieces,” which will involve digital recreations and reconstructions of cinema exteriors and interiors, in a kind of “virtual walk-through” mode, to use a gaming analogy. This would involve the main character/narrator starting a scene in the present and being gradually transported back in time, but on the same location, to a particular era in Irish cinema-going.

The stories themselves, as we collect them, could be slow or quick-paced, delivered individually or in couples or groups, in various locations – in short, and as mentioned, organically and quite heterogeneous in form.  Similarly, witnesses will be unknown local people or known celebrities, mixed and cut together without any particular distinction. Over, through, and in between the stories and the more “written” framing  passages will be used liberal doses of archive material, both primary (films referenced) and secondary (newsreel footage from the time).

Most of all, however, it is important to remember that the film will work on a human level – fascinating and engaging characters telling great stories with passion and enthusiasm. For this film, that remains the key to success.

Jeremiah Cullinane

Director: Jeremiah Cullinane

Producers: Liam O’Neill, Lisa McNamee,

Executive Producers: Jeremiah Cullinane, Bartolomeo Dibenedetto

Executive Producer for RTÉ: Sarah Ryder

Director of Photography: Laurence Manly

Additional Photography: Mark Byrne

Assistant camera/ B-camera: Olga Susteriove

Sound: Sean Plunkett, Stuart Porteous

Composer: Giles Packham

Post-production Supervisor : Elaine Waugh

Editors : Bob Caldwell, Arnaud Rigaud (House Post Production)

Online Editor / Colorist: David Blanc

Graphic Designer: Ray Byrne

Dubbing Mixer: Killian Fitzgerald (Avatar Audio Post Production)

Researcher: Frances Harvey

Archive Research: Eugene Finn, Lindsay Campbell, Gillian Flood

Driver / Lighting Assistant: Edward Doherty

Legal Advisor: Andrea Martin

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

Web Design Team

Project Manager: Derek Canning

Padraic McElroy: Web Development

Keith Byrne: Web Development

Deirdre Kearney: Content Development

Stephen Peirce: Content Development

Michael Crotty: Graphics

Lisa McHale: Graphics

Ami Szacilowska: Marketing

Stephen Dunne: Video

Anna Maria Filipiak:Video

Read more about the Web Design team.

I was about 8 and my big sis and her boyfriend took me to the local cinema to see E.T. I absolutely loved it but when I returned my dad asked me how the movie went and literally two tears jumped out of my eyes. I had kept the tears in until I got home.

Thirty years later my dad still tells the story. He never saw anyone cry like that. And still thirty years on I still cry. What an iconic movie, the movie of my generation.

My pictures memory is my birthday trips to the Carlton.  I remember my first movie was Santa Claus the Movie, and I was so excited to get to go on the bus into town.  When I got there the smell of popcorn and all the sweets was amazing!!  My uncle was the Head Usher and he would be standing on the stairs in his smart uniform with the bow tie welcoming people into the cinema and making sure everyone was going where they were supposed to be going.  When I got to him he would just let me go in with my best friend and my aunties, I felt really special.

Cinemas today haven’t got the same atmosphere and I really, really miss the Carlton and my birthday trips there!

(I really need popcorn now!!  )

My story goes like this back in 2003, Myself my brother Diarmuid decided we’d go to the cinema with friends of ours that were down from Dublin for the weekend.  The plan was he was going in to get the tickets and I was to meet him when we were finished in town. I gave him the money and were to meet at the old  Capitol cinema in Cork.  When we got there we were given our tickets when I asked by the way what are we going to see?  Its your name written all over it, its a comedy! Happy out with the cinema choice I forgot to ask which one apparently the others had being warned not to tell me what it was.  We went in and sat in our seats happily munching on my popcorn waiting for it to start.  When it came on I realised it wasn’t a comedy we were going to see at all but the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I’m not a fan of horrors as I can’t sleep for a week after I see them.  The joke was on me that day and everyone had a great laugh at my expense.  The lesson I learned that day don’t let anyone buy your cinema tickets!!

About 9 or 10 year ago I went to the cinema with my dad. I can’t remember what movie we went to go see, but I remember standing in the line waiting to buy popcorn and drinks. The worker at the counter (I don’t know his name so I’ll call him Tim) asked what movie we were going to see and then recommended the movie ‘Reign Of Fire’. My dad said he already knew what happens in it. Tim didn’t understand because the movie was only coming out the following day. He asked my dad how he knew. My dad replied ‘ well I’m in it , well only for a minute’. My dad was a prison guard in it. Since the movie was filmed in Ireland and used guns when filming the Irish Army has to supervise. So my dad and a few other army soldiers were used in the movie. Tim then hurried off to a room in the back and came back out with a piece of paper and a pen. He asked my dad for an autograph. :L It was kind of cool but embarrassing at the same time as the cinema was packed and they all turned to look over to see why someone was getting an autograph. It was probably the best memory I have of going to the cinema.

Back in 1996 myself and my boyfriend then ( Husband now ) went to the cinema in Ennis, Co Clare to see ” The First Wives Club”…
We were tucking away into our popcorn and nibbles and about half way through the film the couple that were sitting beside my husband,  her partner had fallen asleep during the film, He started rubbing his hand up and down my husbands leg and was getting pretty comfortable, my husband FROZE with fright as he did not want to frighten the guy.
When the guy realised that it was not his girlfriends leg but the leg of my husband he could not even look at my husband,  he was mortified.

Needless to say they left the cinema very quick that night.
We still laugh at this story!

Nothing like a quick feel at the cinema!!

The year was 1986 and my two friends Jackie and Judith, and I were heading off on our first holiday ever.  Killarney.  By bicycle. (Its true!).
We stopped off for the night in  ******** .  We decided to go to the cinema.  We got strange looks in the restaurant when we asked directions for the cinema.  I can’t remember what the film was but it was a scary one. There was only one screen, of course.   At the cinema we discovered the reason for the strange looks.  It was old, damp and didn’t smell good.  And we were the only customers!!
So there we were, three girls clinging to each other, petrified in the dark watching a scary film.  Then there was a loud bang from the back of the cinema.  When we were safely tucked up in the B&B later, we realised the guy running the film had knocked something over.

My dad had a pub in Swinford Co Mayo. The local cinema was on the street behind the pub. The projectionist used to drink in our pub and always came in for a few after showing the films. When West Side Story came to be shown and was not going to finish until after the pub was shut, I had to bring down a few pints of Guinness at different intervals every nighy( Mon to Sat ) otherwise he would have cut the film to suit closing time. I got to see bits of the film every night before getting in for free on the Fri night. It has remained my favourite Musical ever since.

My friend and I went to see Paranormal Activity in the Dublin road cinema in Belfast. Half way through the film he went to the toilet. Five minutes later I seen him walk past me, closer to the front he went into a seat and screamed at some other girl thinking it was me. When she turned round and screamed back he got back up and ran back out the door. Every time I go to the cinema now I laugh at the memory.