'Barbaric Genius' Post Begins | The Irish Film & Television Network

Screenworks’ new post facility in Dublin's Liberties is currently playing host to Colm O’Brien (Growing Up Gay) as he works on ‘Barbaric Genius’ a feature doc directed by Paul Duane (Happy?) who also produces alongside Mary Carson.

Author John Healy spent fifteen years living rough on the streets of London before discovering his innate talent for chess and becoming a world-class chess player.

Director Paul Duane is very pleased with the issues raised in the film: “It will deal with John's struggles with alcohol and depression, as well as the notorious incident at Faber & Faber that ended his career. How much of a role has class had to play in the fact that this gifted, award-winning author hasn't had a book published in twenty years? What challenges did this self-educated London-Irish working-class man face in his ambitious bid to conquer the worlds of literature and chess? Where do you go when you've been to the depths of degradation and the heights of adulation?”

The documentary, funded by the IFB and RTÉ, is being edited into two different lengths – a 52 minute one for RTÉ transmission and a longer version for festival screenings. The RTÉ TX date is not yet set but is likely to be in early 2011.

Fellow Screenworks filmmaker, Rob Cawley will see his recent project ‘Rescue 117’ start its broadcast tonight. The series follows Irish Coast Guard’s as they carry out rescues in Waterford. The six part documentary series was directed by Rob for RTÉ and will start tonight, at 8.30pm no RTÉ1.

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