Special Productions
Re-Imagining Ireland Documentary
Narrated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt and featuring 34 prominent and articulate Irish personalities in literature, politics, social activism, and the arts, Re-Imagining Ireland was broadcast in prime-time in Ireland by Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) and nationally presented in the U.S. by South Carolina ETV through American Public Television. The lively VFH documentary, which moves well beyond stereotypical views of what Ireland and the Irish have to say to the world, explores what it means to be Irish in the 21st century. With the most globalized economy in the world, the Irish have insights to share on the experience of rapid social, cultural and political change, and Re-Imagining Ireland is a window into their minds and hearts. The program offers perspective on religious and political conflict in Ireland and the workings of the peace process. And it unsentimentally explores the human struggle to come to terms with cultural difference, encouraging acceptance and tolerance in the midst of social change. Learn More...
Re-Imagining Ireland Book
Available in October 2006, the Re-Imagining Ireland book, which includes a DVD of the documentary film and features a foreword by President Mary McAleese of Ireland, will further extend the reach of the original conference and festival. Each of ten featured essays by such authors as Fintan O'Toole, Angela Bourke, Susan McKay, and Kerby Miller is followed and beautifully complemented by shorter, topically related pieces from the likes of Roddy Doyle, Colm Tóibín, and Frank McCourt, among others. The essay by Declan McGonagle, chairman of the Department of Art and Design at the University of Ulster, is supplemented by a selection of images from the Irish Museum of Modern Art, which were featured in a special exhibition at the original conference. The volume is available from the University of Virginia Press.
