Poet, RTÉ broadcaster and Trinity College lecturer in English, Gerald Dawe, will chair a Q&A session with Derek Mahon and the film's producer/director Roger Greene.
In the documentary, entitled 'Derek Mahon: The Poetry Nonsense', Mahon retraces his steps as an only child growing up in Belfast through to senior school in the Belfast Academical Institution and on to Trinity College, Dublin and his formative years as a poet.
The film's contributors and literary commentators include poets Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, Frank Ormsby and Gerald Dawe; literary critics Terence Brown, Eve Patten and Hugh Haughton; author Patricia Craig and publisher Peter Fallon.
Over the years Derek Mahon has avoided publicity, allowing his poetry speak for both itself and himself. Now, for the first time, Mahon sets aside his media reticence and speaks frankly about his life, his work, his past and his present. The film explores the poetry of Mahon with its themes of displacement, identity, loss and exile whilst within his serious intent, irony and humour are never too far away. The selected poems included in the documentary are all read by Mahon.
The documentary was filmed over a three month period in 2008 and 2009 with locations in Belfast, Portrush, London, Kinsale and Dublin. The Dublin locations featured include the National Gallery of Ireland where Mahon explains the poetic inspiration he derives from the Dutch Masters and the Gate Theatre for which Mahon adapted several classical stage plays such as 'Cyrano de Bergerac' and 'Phedre'. Trinity College also features and includes footage of the Old Library and Long Room seldom seen on film.
'Derek Mahon: The Poetry Nonsense' was funded by the Irish Film Board and the Arts Council under the 'Documenting the Arts' series. It was produced and directed by Roger Greene of Caranna Productions and Donald Taylor Black (Dear Boy – The Story of Michael Mac Liammoir) was the production's Executive Producer.
The screening and Q & A session will take place at 6.00pm on Wednesday, December 16th, in the Synge Theatre, Trinity College. Admission is free on a 'first come first served' basis.
