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be good or be gone

Be Good or Be Gone was my first experience of the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, detailing four days in the lives of two inmates on temporary leave from Mountjoy Prison. The film follows Ste (Les Martin) and Weed (Declan Mills) as they navigate their personal lives, aspirations and the criminal underbelly of Dublin city. This script was brought to director Cathal Nally by Declan Mills who knew Nally would understand how to make this film. Writers Les Martin and Paul Murphy had a vision for Be Good Or Be Gone that would consistently be disregarded by previously approached production companies. “They were trying to turn it into a Guy Ritchie movie, which is not what it is, it’s a simple redemption story,” as Nally described to me in a private Q&A.

Throughout Be Good or Be Gone I was struck by subtle moments of reflection dispersed between the narratives’ chaotic mixture of comedy, gratuitous violence, and substance abuse. These small instances were carefully engineered by Nally with assistance from the rest of the cast and crew, which is a manifestation of Nally’s collaborative directing style and inclusive dialogue with cast members: “People are always saying “oh what about the director’s vision”. Fuck that. Who cares… I prefer to listen to every-

cathal eustace and katie mckenna cover the festival highlights.

body”. This organised communal reflection on Be Good Or Be Gone is responsible for some of my favourite moments in this film, particularly cinematographer Stephen C Walsh’s lingering, reflective close-ups, soaked in a pale light reminiscent of the prison cell to which our lead characters know they must return to.

The stories told whilst traipsing around Dublin city can vary greatly, but through a shared history and sense of place, they tend to complement each other nicely.

From Ulysses to Adam & Paul (Lenny Abrahamson, 2004), the feel of Dublin permeates through the art that it is home to. In Be Good Or Be Gone, the flats of the north inner city often set the stage for Ste and Weed’s lonesome roamings. Here, they encounter the variety of eccentric characters whose roles tread the line between comedic relief and catalysts for violence. Be Good Or Be Gone intentionally struggles to decide whether it is a crime thriller or a buddy comedy. This lack of generic delineation conflicts with Nally’s reflective moments and ultimately serves to create a sympathy and respect for the characters. cathal eustace

a worm in the heart

This documentary tracks the journey of a gay Irish couple’s journey along the Trans-Siberian railway. The filmmakers Paul Rice and Liam Jackson Montgomery meet with members of the LGBTQ+ community in various cities across Russia, staying with them and talking with them about their experiences. The pair had clearly done their research and made an effort to communicate with their interviewees prior to their trip: hidden groups of social workers providing secret mental health support to locals, sisterhoods of trans women who are forced to live together for safety, drag queens in the icy plains of Siberia -- all the while explaining the history of systemic homophobia in Russia.

Sitting down and allowing the horrifying stories of queer Russians to suck me into the disturbingly calm Siberian tundra created a surreal viewing experience. I only paused the film occasionally to register

the scarring retellings of violence against the interviewees, otherwise I watched it all the way through, never leaving the couch- to do so would have felt like I was disregarding the trauma of those being interviewed.

Following the route along the Trans-Siberian railway eastwards, the gradual shift from the more “progressive” cities of St Petersburg and Moscow all the way to the remote Vladivostok creates a simple structure for the audience to follow. The film is bookended by the couple’s experiences before and after their journey. Prior to their departure we feel as if the pair are venturing into the unknown, almost expecting something awful to befall Paul and Liam as they go from the relative safety of Ireland to the legitimately dangerous climate of Russia. After their journey however we feel as if the pair have become involved members of the Russian LGBTQ+ community. cathal eustace

to all my darlings

With the likes of Normal People (Lenny Abrahamson, Hettie MacDonald), Wolfwalkers (Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, 2020) and the upcoming Conversations With Friends, it seems like we are in the midst of an Irish screen renaissance. It’s refreshing to see Irish culture portrayed so vibrantly and authentically on screen. I find myself wondering: how long can this last? However, having had the pleasure of watching IADT student Lia Campbell’s short, To All My Darlings, I think my question has been answered.

After another miscarriage, Adaeze (Demi Isaac Oviawe), must break the news of a serious medical diagnosis to her husband, Nonso (Precious Okpaje), in Campbell’s emotional drama. The film is seeping with empathy, thanks primarily to Oviawe’s magnetic performance. A particular standout is a scene in Adaeze’s garden, where, with absolutely no dialogue, Oviawe says a huge amount. This character study lives or dies on the lead performance and Oviawe absolutely delivers.

The story does, however, feel somewhat underdeveloped, particularly when examining Adaeze’s relationship with her husband. Near the end of the film, Nonso says, “they’re my kids too.” It feels as if it isn’t just Adaeze who forgets this, but the film as well. Nonso feels like a tacked-on element, neglected until the very end. It’s hard to care about him or his relationship with Adaeze as we’re shown almost none of it. This could be a consequence of the restricted runtime that comes with making a short. However, I feel, the filmmakers chose to develop the world the characters live in at the expense of the heart of the story. While her film lacks the final emotional pay-off, I believe that Lia Campbell is a filmmaker with a huge amount of promise and I can’t wait to see what she does next. katie mckenna

is there anybody out there?

When we think back on the year 2020, the same thing comes to mind: the disease that shall not be named. A year of news stories about doctors, Leaving Cert students, and the elderly -- we often forget about the less vocal groups. Vilified on the news as selfish party animals, the media forgets that college students are spending “the best years of their lives” when “they never looked better” indoors. In their film, Is There Anybody Out There?, Trinity’s students explore this.

Told through a series of video diary entries, Is There Anybody Out There? tells us the story of the pandemic as students show us their experiences of it. When I had the opportunity to talk to producer Justin MacGregor about his film, he described it as “a snapshot of another time”, and I couldn’t have described it better myself. It’s stunning how accurately the students captured the transition from the novelty of a two-week quarantine and fun staycations to the dread that comes with being in a tunnel with no light at the end. One of my favourite shorts starts with a group of students deciding to spend the rest of the semester in Kerry. What starts out as a fun holiday-- students going

for walks in the country and playing football on the beach-- abruptly ends with the message “By April, the COVID 19 situation had worsened, and we left Cahersiveen and completed our last assignments at home”: a microcosm of 2020.

The film is hard to watch at times, each filmmaker tells their story with such honesty -- a ‘warts and all’ approach -- that it’s hard not to feel an existential dread while watching. A film that portrays such a traumatic period of time with such authenticity is never easy viewing.

But Is There Anybody Out There? isn’t about dread, or sadness, or tragedy. It’s about triumph. Showing us that, in times of great stress and sadness, we come together to help each other. Whether it’s the doctor in Peru putting his life on the line to save others or the college student checking on their friends, the film is full of people trying to help. Bursting through the sadness of the film there is hope. Is There Anybody Out There? shows us that we can -- and will -- get through this.

q&a

You follow many stories throughout the film, do any of them particularly stand out to you?

Obviously, one of the filmmakers getting COVID and documenting it really stood out. It not only highlighted the way all the filmmakers were so honest about themselves and their situations but it was also a stark reminder of how fragile COVID had made everything and that people we know were, and are, in harm’s way. From the point of view of a documentarian, we live in an age where so much is labelled fake news and some people question what seem to be obvious truths, but the honesty of everyone involved gave an insight into the truth of the collective situation everyone was going through.

Having said that, when we were editing, what really stood out to me was how the stories came together to cover so much territory without it being planned centrally. After all, each of the filmmakers got to choose their own point of view and story. In the end, we had two stories about the situation in Italy, one from inside quarantine in Wuhan, a story of a doctor talking about the meaning of Ramadan in the context of the lockdown, and so many more – as well as all the thematic links about family, friendship, mental health,