How the Myth Was Made - PREVIEW

the cliffs and skies and faces one sees on the Aran Islands these days haven't changed very much since Robert Flaherty came here back in 1931 to make his world-renowned motion picture man of Aran Flaherty America's most famous documentary filmmaker had been attracted to these tiny islands of Ireland's west coast by stories had been told about the hard life of the people people whose very faces had been chiseled by the storms that lash their rocky shores today the film Robert Flaherty made here has itself become legend a glorious celebration of man's heroic struggle against the forces of nature the film is also a legend the children and grandchildren of flair ities one-time film stars have lived with for more than four decades our film will try to find out why this great artist worked as he did and to where the consequences when life becomes myth we've had many a good evening of song and dance in this cottage of my good friends Kate and Peter faculty over the past six years these six years I've been coming to the Aran Islands looking for my roots my name is George Stoney and I make documentary films can be mr. Stoney what's what's your father than what he bought in here my father was born on in in Kilronan karoli yeah though my family left Aaron long before Flaherty arrived I've been as captivated by his myth as any Islander could you tell me what people on the island think of the film though lots of changes that never happened really here at all it's another Waterton representant life of the people a child here do you see they don't know lots of them didn't like it olive horse flare tickles made a good dish on that because I've got a cheap labor here with him no no no lots of the Old Crow didn't like that at all yeah there is not I mean it made very little of them you know no even the poorest I have their players you know yeah that's it other Islanders can take pleasure tease film and stride the Harbormaster doubles this operator of the islands only 16 millimeter projector on every Tuesday night during the month of June July and August we showed the Philemon event and the hot dance our lights are on and it's shown on Tuesday night and all the villagers from that's in the island to the evening we come every night they be here what's the penalty code it's it's a very good film and all the island people delight oh isn't there like it also they all the island people have seen it went over and over again earlier those visitors who get no further than kill Rowland's busy dark side with its fleet of modern fishing trawlers have every reason to conclude that the Aaron Flaherty filmed back in the 30s has been completely altered there's even an airstrip now and most prosperous young fishermen have already moved from the cottages of their birth into cement block boxes fortunately for me and other romantics who prefer the older ways there's more than a bit of Flaherty Zarin left I've slept under thatch in this cottage every night I've been on Aaron I've walked the rocks with Peter and heard him tell of storms and ghosts and shipwreck times we kind of talked about Flaherty himself must have heard when he came here to film the sheen and texture of myth is all about me shallow courts still take men to see and when the wind rises though I may be safe for sure I am transported back in memory to a small college movie house in North Carolina where Flaherty's man of Aaron first filled me with horror

Channel: Documentary Educational Resources

Views: 18,372

Rating: 4.8651686 out of 5

Keywords: Ireland, Aran, fishing, island, non-fiction, film, Robert Flaherty, George Stoney, anthropology, documentary

Id: -30JrFNN5N8

Length: 5min 56sec (356 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 04 2009