Andrew Legge's 'The Lactating Automaton' New York Premiere, Dominic West Stars in Experimental Short

It premiered at the ‘Guests of the Nation’ screening in the National Concert Hall on September 11th, where the silent short was shown with a live orchestral score by Liam Bates and a live foley accompaniment, with Film Ireland calling it ”brilliantly unique” and “funny and bittersweet”.

’The Lactating Automaton’ stars Dominic West (The Wire) as the inventor, Serena Brabazon (The Chronoscope, The Tudors) as both the inventor’s wife and the lactating automaton and Ingrid Craigie (The Dead, Circle of Friends) as the intolerant housekeeper.

It was shot on 35mm on location in Birr Castle, Co. Offaly and Killruddery House, Co. Wicklow in October 2010. Director of Photography is Eleanor Bowman (Aisling’s Diary) and Production design is by Olwen Kelleghan.

The short also features an unusual array of costumes and a robot suit including the lactating automaton itself, which was designed by Ger Clancy and built by Lora Maurico and Aaron O’Sullivan. Sailorboy was designed by Hello Operator and built by Erin Hermosa and Jack Phelan, with the remaining automata designed and built by Aoife Noonan and Ben O’Connor at Bowsie Workshop.

‘The Lactating Automaton’ was edited by Frank Reid and Eoin McGuirk, with the Grade and Online being completed at Windmill Lane.

The experimental short was funded by the Arts Council of Ireland though their once-off Project Award. It will have its US premiere on September 22nd at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Centre in New York, where it will again screen with silent classic ‘Guests of the Nation’.

For more information on the short and to keep up to date on future screenings/performances, visit the facebook page by clicking here.

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