Artist Statement
As an Experimental Filmmaker/Film Artist (Writer/Director/Producer) my work focuses on themes such as female sexual trauma, addiction and recovery, memories, loss of memories and traumatic memories. Frequently my creative practice explores the notion of time, where my characters have encountered younger versions of themselves and there are shifts in time and location. My films are more character orientated than plot. They centre around female protagonists and utilise minimal dialogue.
My first film Memories (Writer/Director/Editor. Short film. 3 minutes. 1996) was made while I studied Communications in Dublin Institute of Technology. This short explores the memories a house can hold. The location of the old derelict cottage held many memories for me from childhood visits. In fact, this location eventually became where I built my own home. In this short the main female character goes into the house and is confronted by a younger version of herself, which distresses her, and she leaves. This short screened at the Galway Film Fleadh (1996).
Losing Memories (Writer/Director. Short film. 8 minutes 40 seconds. 2008) was awarded the Galway Film Centre/RTÉ Short Script Award. The film was based on the memory of my grandmother who lived with Alzheimer’s. In this short, I explore what it may have been like for my Grandmother to live with this condition. She slips between the present-day version of herself and a younger child version of herself. The film deals with the notion of home, where the main character looks for their home, even though they are in it. Losing Memories was screened on the Irish national broadcaster RTÉ (2011) as part of Shortscreen. The film played in multiple film festivals (including Galway Film Fleadh (2011)) This short received a number of awards (including Earwig - Arts Festival Tuam (2010) - Won Jury's prize, International Film Festival Ireland (Clonmel, 2010) -Won best Irish Production). Losing Memories showed me that my work can sit as easily in an art exhibition as it does on the big screen when it was selected by Curator Patrick T. Murphy as part of the Made of Mayo exhibition (2018. Ballinrobe Racecourse)
I wrote Secret Repetition (Writer. Short film. 3 minutes 30 seconds. 2016), while studying my Masters in Scriptwriting at Huston School of Film & Digital Media, National University of Ireland. This short explores what it is like to be stuck in a repetitive moment of trauma. A mother has a memory of her child being taken from her, it is a Groundhog-day experience of repetitive trauma where she relives the same memory day in and day out and she does not realise that she is stuck in this cycle.
I made Deoch Dance (Writer/Director/Producer. 11 minutes 38 seconds. 2021) whilst studying a Master of Arts in Creative Practice at Atlantic Technological University, Galway in 2021. Deoch Dance is a movement piece which centres around the effect of alcoholism on Sheila who lives with active addiction. Deoch Dance was nominated for The World Class Film Awards for Best Experimental Film where it screened in Mexico June 2023. The short screened as part of the Austin Revolution Film Festival in Texas (USA) (2023), with the festival taking place in the Austin Southpark Hotel. The short was screened at the Art(ist) Film (Ireland) in the Rory Gallagher Theatre in MTU (Munster Technological University) Bishopstown, Cork. It played as part of Louth International Film Festival Saturday (2022) at An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk and as part of The Mayo Artist Show in the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar (2021/2022). The short received the following award in 2023: Best University Film at The Austin Revolution Film Festival (Austin, Texas, USA). In 2022 some of the awards the film picked up included: Best Experimental Film at Prague International Film Festival, Best Picture at FICMAD (Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid) (Madrid, Spain), Best Cinematography at FLOW Film Festival and Market (Florida, USA)). Deoch Dance was part of Plan C: Whereabouts?, the graduate show for the Master of Arts in Creative Practice curated by Ruby Wallis and Michaële Cutaya (2021).
My current project is The Secret Tree, which is an experimental Poetry Film that deals with female sexual trauma. I was a successful recipient of an Arts Council of Ireland Agility Award (Round 2, 2022). This award afforded me the opportunity to work with Mayo based poet Anne Walsh Donnelly over a 6 month period. I have worked with designer Catherine Gannon on initial designs for this project and have commitments in place to work with musician Patrick Dexter. Music, Poetry and Image each having a strong hold in this project. I have the support of Mayo Rape Crisis Centre in pursuing the making of this Experimental Poetry Film. I am currently submitting the project for funding.