Paul Muldoon documentary airs on TG4
Date Posted: December 23, 2022
Paul Muldoon is a global great of contemporary culture. In a new Irish Language Broadcast Fund bilingual feature documentary, the poet explores life and language in a series of musical collaborations with a stellar array of artists including Paul Simon, Liam Neeson, PJ Harvey, Bono, Ruth Negga, Paul Brady, and Iarla Ó Lionáird. Produced by Below The Radar, Paul Muldoon: Laoithe is Liricí airs on Wednesday 28th December at 9:20pm on TG4.
For the Armagh-born, Pulitzer prize-winner music matters almost as much as poetry, Muldoon sees little difference between a poem and song lyrics: key moments in his creative life, which began with him writing poems in Irish as a schoolboy, are explored by many of the musicians Paul has worked with – in words specially written by him. The unique and innovative format of this film reflects the allusive and playful poetry of Paul Muldoon who narrates this film. Paul’s personal and professional life on both sides of the Atlantic over the course of his working life which began as a radio producer with BBC in Belfast and culminated with his Chair of Poetry in Princeton University, is reflected in the range of musician friends and acquaintances who participate in the telling of Muldoon’s life.
Paul Muldoon said: “When the idea of a documentary about my life was first raised, I was concerned that it would follow the conventional pattern of a core interview intercut with lots of staring into the distance and sage and seasoned critical comments from the great and the good. Boresville, in other words. So I was thrilled when Alan Gilsenan fell in with my vision of a film that would have a much less predictable aspect. Thrilled, too, that Below the Radar along with BBC and TG4 were so enthusiastic in their support of our determination to do something out of the ordinary.”
Director Alan Gilsenan said: “It was a great delight to go on a strange, musical odyssey with Paul Muldoon through his life and his ceaseless imagination – and to capture his collaborations with so many remarkable artists and friends. I’m left with a host of wonderful memories and encounters which I hope have been documented in this film.”
Máire Bhreathnach, Executive Producer for Below the Radar said: “We were delighted to get this film funded through the AMHARC scheme, an initiative supporting the production of landmark creative films on the Arts focusing on NI Artists and it was our aim from the outset to do something distinctive with this film and explore Paul Muldoon’s relationship with the language is a new and innovative way.”
Paul Muldoon: Laoithe is Liricí was directed by acclaimed director Alan Gilsenan and produced by Stephen Douds with funding from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, TG4, BBC Gaeilge and BAI’s Sound and Vision scheme.
Clár faisnéise ar Paul Muldoon le craoladh ar TG4 Is duine de mhórphearsana an chultúir chomhaimseartha é Paul Muldoon. San fhadscannán faisnéise dátheangach nua seo de chuid an Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, tá an saol agus an teanga faoi chaibidil ag an fhile thar shraith de chomhshaothair a rinneadh i gcomhar le sár-réimse ealaíontóirí, Paul Simon, Liam Neeson, PJ Harvey, Bono, Ruth Negga, Paul Brady, agus Iarla Ó Lionáird ina measc. Léirithe ag Below The Radar TV, Craolfar Paul Muldoon: Laoithe’s Liricí ar TG4 Dé Céadaoin 28ú Eanáir ag 9.20.i.n.
I dtaca le Muldoon de, a rugadh in Ard Mhacha agus a bhain an duais Pulitzer, tá an ceol beagnach chomh tábhachtach céanna leis an fhilíocht. Creideann sé gur beag ar fad atá idir dán agus liricí amhráin. Na heachtraí tábhachtacha ina shaol cruthaitheach, ón uair a thosaigh sé ag cumadh dánta Gaeilge agus é ina bhuachaill scoile, a bheidh á phlé ag cuid mhaith de na ceoltóirí ar oibrigh Paul leo – i bhfocail a chum sé féin go speisialta. Is léiriú ann féin é ar fhilíocht Paul Muldoon an leagan amach uathúil nuálach atá ar an scannán Gaeilge seo, filíocht aigeanta atá lán de thagairtí agus is é Paul féin atá i mbun na reacaireachta ar an chlár. Tá tréimhsí caite ag Paul ar dhá thaobh an Atlantaigh le linn a shaoil phearsanta agus gairmiúil. Thosaigh sé amach ag obair ina léiritheoir raidió leis an BBC i mBéal Feirste agus ba é buaic a shaoil ghairmiúil é nuair a ceapadh in ollúnacht na Filíochta in Ollscoil Princeton é. Tá ardmheas ar Muldoon, agus tá a shliocht sin ar an líon mór dá chuid cairde ceoil agus dá lucht aitheantais a ghlac páirt sa chlár seo chun cur síos a dhéanamh ar a shaol.
Dúirt Paul Muldoon é féin: “Nuair a tosaíodh ag caint ar dtús faoi chlár faisnéise a dhéanamh ar mo shaol, bhí imní orm go mbeadh an leagan amach céanna sin air, is é sin an príomhagallamh a bheadh briste suas ag go leor míreanna díomsa ag breathnú uaim in éineacht le tuairimí criticiúla críonna deisbhéalacha na maithe agus na móruaisle. Clár a bheadh an-leadránach ar fad. Bhí ríméad orm mar sin nuair a thuig Alan Gilsenan an fhís a bhí agam do scannán nach mbeadh an seanleagan amach céanna le gach clár faisnéise eile air. Bhí mé an-sásta freisin go raibh an-fhonn ar Below the Radar chomh maith le BBC agus TG4 tacú leis an díocas a bhí orainne rud éigin as an ngnáth a dhéanamh.”
Dúirt stiúrthóir an scannáin, Alan Gilsenan: “B’iontach an rud é dul ar aistear aisteach ceoil le Paul Muldoon trína shaol agus a shamhlaíocht nach bhfuil deireadh ar bith léi – agus an comhshaothar a rinne sé leis an oiread sin ceoltóirí, amhránaithe agus cairde den scoth a thaifeadadh. Ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad go deo ar na cuimhní sin ná ar na daoine a casadh orainn agus tá súil agam go mbeidh sé sin le feiceáil sa scannán seo.”
Dúirt léiritheoir feidhmiúcháin Below the Radar TV, Máire Bhreathnach: “Bhí muid an-sásta go deo maoiniú a fháil chun an scannán seo a dhéanamh tríd an scéim AMHARC, scéim iontach a thacaíonn le mórléirithe scannáin faisnéise ar shaol agus ar dhéantús na n-ealaíon i dTuaisceart Éireann nó ar ealaíontóirí arb as Tuaisceart Éireann iad agus bhí sé mar sprioc againn ón tús scannán cruthaitheach, nuálach a dhéanamh ar Paul Muldoon agus ar an chaidreamh atá aige leis an teanga ar bhealach úr nua.”
Bhí Paul Muldoon: Laoithe is Liricí á stiúradh ag an stiúrthóir cáiliúil Alan Gilsenan agus á léiriú ag Stephen Douds le maoiniú ón Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge Scáileán Thuaisceart Éireann, TG4, BBC Gaeilge agus scéim Fuaim & Fís Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann.
