“The people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who after 30 years of war sat down, negotiated a peace and proved to the world that the Irish are great talkers.”
Terry George in his Academy Award acceptance speech
“Hundreds of thousands of short films are produced every year around the world and for Northern Ireland to win one really underlines the world class talent we have working in the industry here.”
Richard Williams, chief executive Northern Ireland Screen
After watching the 2012 Oscars the film that I hadn’t seen that I walked away with wanting to see the most was the Irish film The Shore. Writer, producer, and director Terry George said the movie is, “the story of one small act of reconciliation which mirrors the courageous achievement of the people who after 800 years of division and blooodshed came together to talk and make their peace with one another.”
George and his producer-daughter Oorlagh also became the first father/daughter combination to win an Oscar together. The film was shot at George’s family cottage at Coney Island near Ardglass in Northern Ireland. (That qualifies as an “unlikely place” referred to in this blogs subtitle.)
“We basically shot this story right outside my front door in Northern Ireland over five days last summer. And it was maybe the best experience in filmmaking I’ve had. It got me back to that thing of communicating with actors and the crew, just focusing both telling the story and having fun.”
Terry George
(On making The Shore)
“There’s the ability to go out an make a film with very little equipment now.”
Terry George
Though this is George’s first Oscar, he had been nominated two before for his screenplays Hotel Rwanda and In the Name of the Father.
The 30-minute film is now available for $6.99 on iTunes as a set with the other Academy Award-nominated live-action short films.
For information on filming in Northern Ireland and other related information visit Northern Ireland Screen.
P.S. The cinematographer for The Shore was Michael McDonough who just happened to shoot Winter’s Bone. I believe he used the RED camera on both Winter’s Bone and The Shore.
P.P.S. For filmmakers, here’s a link to the press kit used by The Shore.
Related Posts: Screenwriting from Ireland
[…] “The people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who after 30 years of war sat down, negotiated a peace and proved to the world that the Irish are great talkers.” Terry George in his Academy Award acceptance speech “Hundreds of thousands of short films are produced every year around the world and for Northern Ireland […] Original Source… […]
As I live in Northern Ireland, I know I do not have much opportunity in the world of film so I may move to England in the future. I make short films at my youtube: http://www.youtube.com/FilmMasterTom and love cinema. Excellent post. Great to see someone write something about little N.I.