ROSG docu-drama ‘Murdair Mhám Trasna’ has been shortlisted for the International online festival, Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival Online 2018.
Directed by Colm Bairéad, ‘Murdair Mhám Trasna’ deals with the 1882 murder of a family in Mám Trasna, followed by the wrongful hanging and conviction of those accused. It is based on the Seán Ó Cuirreáin publication, ‘Éagóir’. The barbaric murders were committed in the rural community of Joyce Country, on the border between counties Galway and Mayo.
Speaking about the achievement, Producer Ciaran Ó Cofaigh told IFTN:
“We are very proud to have Murdair Mhám Trasna (The Mám Trasna Murders) shortlisted at the innovative 'Lift-Off Film festival'. Although the events of our film happened in 1882 in a remote village in the West of Ireland, it grew as a story with national and international reverberations and lead to the fall of the then British Government.
Following our award at the Celtic Media Festival and the international coverage we had received on broadcast, we are delighted to see the growth of interest in our film as it again becomes an international story.”
Unusually the trail which followed took place in Dublin and in the English language, despite the defendants having little or no English beyond their native Irish. They were wrongfully convicted through this, false testimony and dishonesty among the authorities and gentry.
However, a posthumous pardon was granted earlier this year by President Michael D Higgins on the advice of Government to Myles Joyce [Maolra Seoighe] who was wrongly convicted on perjured evidence and the word of informers as a participant in the murders and saw descendants of Myles Joyce travel from the USA for the occasion.
Dara Devaney, Pól Ó Gríofa, David Heap, Aidan O’Hare, Peadar Ó Treasaigh and more star in the project, which is produced by Ciarán Ó Cofaigh. Further crew members are with DOP Colm Hogan and Designer Conor Dennison.
All 13 shortlisted titles, including ‘Murdair Mhám Trasna’ can be viewed online via vimeo link for the duration of the festival, which begins Monday, October 1st and ends on Sunday October 7th.
The nominees are decided upon by popular vote so ROSG are looking for support to vote for your favourite and second favourite film before the end of the week!
The highest voted films will be promoted to the final round on ROSG’s own Lift-Off Community Platform, where members will go further in-depth and score the films based on multiple aspects. The short and feature film with the highest overall scores will both win an official selection for an upcoming Lift-Off Film Festival.