THE LOUIS MARCUS COLLECTION / BAILIÚCHÁN LOUIS MARCUS – FREE TO WATCH WORLDWIDE ON THE IFI ARCHIVE PLAYER

The Irish Film Institute (IFI) is delighted to be launching a landmark collection of the films of pioneering Irish director Louis Marcus. This fantastic selection of films from his remarkable career can now be viewed free of charge worldwide on the IFI Archive Player – the virtual viewing room for the IFI Irish Film Archive collections. The release has been coordinated so that all films will be available to watch this Seachtain na Gaeilge 1-17 March 2025 and beyond. The Louis Marcus Collection consists of: The Silent Art (1958); Rhapsody of a River (1965); Fleá Ceoil (1967); Pobal (1969); Dubliners Sean agus Nua (1971); Páistí ag Obair (1973); Conquest of Light (1975); and Discovering Ireland (1982).

Speaking on the collection’s release, IFI Head of Irish Programming Sunniva O’Flynn has said: 

“It is a great pleasure to launch a collection of short films by Louis Marcus, a leading pioneer of Irish cinema documentaries. His wryly affectionate portraits of Irish people, captured in an array of urban and rural landscapes, celebrated Irish language and identity in the 1960s and 1970s – a time of economic growth and seismic cultural shifts. Thanks to Gael Linn for commissioning the work on glorious 35mm film in the first place and now to IFI Irish Film Archive colleagues for preserving these original elements with such skill.”

Louis Marcus Biography

Cork-born Louis Marcus began his film career in Dublin in 1958 as assistant editor on Mise Éire and Saoirse?, and made his own first film, The Silent Art, about the sculptor Seamus Murphy RHA.

From 1960 to 1973, he made short cinema documentaries for Gael Linn and went on to work for television and corporate patrons. His subjects have included social life, Irish traditions, history, and the arts.

He has made over 80 documentaries, winning 20 international festival awards, including the Silver Bear of the Berlin Film Festival for Fleá Ceoil, prizes at Moscow, London, Chicago and Oberhausen, and two Academy Award Nominations for Páistí ag Obair and Conquest of Light.

In 1995, he received the Irish Film Institute’s Annual Award, and at the 50th Cork Film Festival in 2005 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award and a retrospective of his work. In 2011, he received the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland/Foras na Gaeilge award for outstanding work in the Irish language.

Throughout the 1960s, he became one of the most important and prolific Irish documentary directors, making popular films including a portrait of Christy Ring and the 1916 commemoration film An Tine Bheo. He was a key figure in the development of the Irish film industry, publishing a series of influential articles in The Irish Times calling for the Government to support the Irish film industry and making him one of the most influential names in the business.

Marcus’s 35mm films for Gael Linn were screened in cinemas nationwide and were designed to promote the Irish language. All were directed by Louis Marcus and, from 1965, all were filmed by his longtime friend and collaborator cinematographer Bob Monks.

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Tá áthas mór ar an Institiúid Scannán na hÉireann an ballúcháin tábhachachta seo de scannáin Louis Marcus, an stiúrthóir ceannródaíoch Éireannach, a seoladh. Is féidir breathnú ar an rogha scannáin iontacha seo ón a ghairm suntasach saor in aisce ar fud an domhain ar an Seinnteoir Cartlainne ISÉ – an suíomh ar lÍne do bhallúcháin ó Cartlann Scannán na hÉireann. Tá an foilsiú seo ar aonchéim le Seachtain na Gaeilge 1-17 Márta 2025 ionas go mbeidh a scannáin le feiceáil anois agus ó seo amach. Páirteach leis an Ballúcháin Louis Marcus tá: The Silent Art (1958); Rhapsody of a River (1965); Fleá Ceoil (1967); Pobal (1969); Dubliners Sean agus Nua (1971); Páistí ag Obair (1973); Conquest of Light (1975); agus Discovering Ireland (1982). 

Ag labhairt faoin seoladh seo, dúirt Ceannaire Clárú Éireannacha, Sunniva O’Flynn: 

“Is onóir ulmhór í ballúcháin gearrscannáin le Louis Marcus a sheoladh, stiúrthóir ceannródaíoch de scannáin faisnéise Éireannacha. Rinne a chúntais grinn, grámhar de daonra na hÉirinn, taifeadta i gcathracha agus faoin dtuath, céiliúradh ar an Ghaeilge agus féiniúlacht i rith na 1960í agus 1970í – ré fhás eacnamaíoch agus athrú cultúra. Buíochas le Gael Linn a coimisiún na scannáin seo ar scimeal 35mm ar an gcéad dul síos agus anois don ár gcomhleacaí i gCartlann Scannán na hÉireann le haghaidh a caomhnaigh na scannáin seo le oilteacht mór.”

Thosaigh an Corcaíoch, Louis Marcus, a chuid oibre sa scannáníocht i mBaile Átha Cliath sa bhliain 1958 mar eagarthóir cúnta ar Mise Éire agus Saoirse?, agus rinne sé a chéad scannán féin, The Silent Art, ar an dealbhóir Seamus Murphy RHA.

Ó 1960 go 1973, rinne sé gearrscannáin fhaisnéise do Ghael Linn agus d’oibrigh sé le haghaidh na teilifíse agus ar son patrún corparáideach. Rinne sé scannáin faoin saol sóisialta, traidisiúin Éireannacha, stair, agus an ealaín.

San iomlán, tá níos mó ná 80 scannán faisnéise déanta aige agus níos mó na 20 duais ó fhéilte idirnáisiúnta buaite aige: an Béar Airgid ó Bheirlín le haghaidh Fleá Ceoil, duaiseanna ó Mhoscó, Londain, Chicago, agus Oberhausen, agus ainmniúcháin le haghaidh dhá duais de chuid na hAcadaimh sna Stáit Aontaithe le haghaidh Páistí ag Obair agus Conquest of Light ina measc.

Sa bhliain 1995, bhain sé an Duais Bliantúil ó Institiúid Scannán na hÉireann, agus ag an 50ú Féile Scannánaíochta i gCorcaigh sa bhliain 2005, fuair sé Gradam Saoil agus rinne siad iardhearcadh ar a shaothar. Sa bhliain 2011, fuair sé duais le haghaidh sároibre i nGaeilge ó Screen Directors Guild of Ireland agus Foras na Gaeilge.

I rith na 1960í, bhí sé ar dhuine de na stiúrthóirí faisnéise is tábhachtaí de chuid na hÉireann, agus é ag déanamh scannán cáiliúil cosúil le cuntas ar Christy Ring agus comóradh ar 1916 sa scannán An Tine Bheo. Ag an am sin, bhí sé lárnach i bhforbairt tionscadal na scannán, ag foilsiú sraith alt ar an Irish Times a raibh tionchar mór acu. Bhí sé ag iarraidh níos mó tacaíochta don tionscadal ón rialtas reatha.

Cuireadh a scannáin 35mm, a rinne sé do Ghael Linn chun borradh a chuir faoin nGaeilge, ar siúl i bpictiúrlanna ar fud na tíre. Bhí Louis Marcus mar stiúrthóir agus rinne a chara agus a chomhoibrí Bob Monks an scannánaíocht.

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Film Descriptions

Film still from The Silent Art (1958)

The Silent Art (1958)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Louis Marcus
Duration: 14 mins
Language: English

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/the-silent-art/

This documentary, marking the directorial debut of Academy-Award-nominated filmmaker Louis Marcus, is a luminous portrait of renowned Cork sculptor, Seamus Murphy (RHA).

This first film-making endeavour by Louis Marcus serves as an invaluable record of his friend, sculptor Seamus Murphy (affectionately known as Stone Mad), and his work in his studio in Blackpool, Cork, and on the streets of the city. Although it was made on a shoestring and a borrowed 16mm Bolex camera, The Silent Art is a luminous tribute to the work of the great sculptor. Against the ringing of the Shandon bells, several of Murphy’s pieces are shown in situ in UCC, in Ballyvourney, and in Cork city, and the sculptor himself is seen at work sculpting a bust of his daughter Orlagh.

Marcus remembers The Silent Art was shown in 1959 at the same Cork Film Festival where Mise Éire (on which he had worked as an editorial assistant) was premiered: ‘With Dónal Ó Móráin and Bob Mac Góráin of Gael Linn in Cork for that event, I showed them my film. Soon after, I got my first commission from Gael Linn and continued to make documentaries for them until 1973.’

The Silent Art is part of The Louis Marcus Collection of the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Rhapsody of a River (1965)

Rhapsody of a River (1965)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Gael Linn
Duration: 2 mins
Language: Dialogue-free

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/rhapsody-of-a-river/ 

This short film was conceived by two Cork natives, Louis Marcus and Seán Ó Ríada, as a romantic tribute to the city and river they knew and loved. The images of the River Lee are underscored by Ó Ríada’s glorious score, which is performed by the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra and features Seán Ó Sé singing Ó Riada’s arrangement of ‘The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee.’

The film opens with lively sequences in Cork city, where the streets are filled with traffic and shoppers and the side quays are busy with stately ships loading and unloading their cargoes. In a peaceful field by the river, grain is harvested and loaded into sacks from the Kilumney Co-op, while the busy cattle mart in Bandon attracts keen buyers and sellers. Before the river enters the sea at Cobh, there are many impressive feats of engineering along its banks, from the hydroelectric dam at Inniscarra, the Whitegate Oil Refinery; Irish Steel at Haulbowline to shipbuilding at the Verolme Shipyard.

Rhapsody of a River was one of a series of longer films made for cinema by Louis Marcus for Gael Linn following the success of their Amharc Éireann newsreel (1956 – ’64). The films were made to promote the Irish language and were primarily presented in Irish. All were directed by Louis Marcus and, from 1965, all were filmed by his longtime friend and collaborator cinematographer Bob Monks.

Rhapsody of a River is part of The Louis Marcus Collection on the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Fleá Ceoil (1967)

Fleá Ceoil (1967)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Gael Linn
Duration: 25 mins
Language: Irish with English subtitles

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/flea-ceoil/

Louis Marcus’ film is a finely observed record of Ireland’s annual Fleadh Cheoil which was held in the towns of Kilrush and Quilty in County Clare in 1966. The Fleadh was the highlight of the year on the traditional music calendar. There had been a big resurgence of interest in traditional Irish music in the 1960s, and Irish folk singers, like Dolly McMahon, who appears in the film, were seen as part of a worldwide boom in folk music. Musicians from Ireland and abroad came to Kilrush to play and perform to enthusiastic audiences who came to hear the music, celebrate the culture, and enjoy the crubeens and the craic. The film shows the influence of cinéma vérité in its close observation of small details and in its willingness to stand back from the action and observe. Marcus films the faces of old and young, local and visitor, musician and audience to create an intensely energetic montage and a remarkable cinematic portrait of this vibrant community.

The film, which was commissioned by Gael Linn, was released in 1967 and won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, greatly contributing to the profile of Irish cinema abroad. Fleá Ceoil was one of a series of longer films made for cinema by Louis Marcus for Gael Linn following the success of their Amharc Éireann newsreel (1956 – ’64). The films were made to promote the Irish language and were primarily presented in Irish. All were directed by Louis Marcus and, from 1965, all were filmed by his longtime friend and collaborator cinematographer Bob Monks.

Fleá Ceoil is part of The Louis Marcus Collection on the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Pobal (1970)

Pobal (1970)
Directed by Louis Marcus.
Produced by Gael Linn.
Duration: 25 mins

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/pobal/

From the renowned Irish documentarian, doubly Oscar-nominated Louis Marcus, Pobal is a broad-sweeping panoramic work encapsulating Ireland and the Irish in the late ‘60s. Shot in various parts of the country including Cork, Mayo, Dublin and the Aran Islands, Pobal presents a rich tapestry of observation and commentary, captured by cameraman Bob Monks and inflected through Marcus’ keen eye for small detail and his sense of irony. It is a prodigious celebration of the people of Ireland and the strong sense of community which pervades every aspect of Irish life.

Pobal was one of a series of longer films made for cinema by Louis Marcus for Gael Linn following the success of their Amharc Éireann newsreel (1956 – 1964). All were directed by Louis Marcus and, from 1965, all were filmed by his longtime friend and collaborator cinematographer Bob Monks.

Pobal is part of The Louis Marcus Collection on the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Dubliners Sean agus Nua (1971)

Dubliners Sean agus Nua (1971)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Gael Linn
Duration: 22 mins
Language: Irish and English

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/dubliners-sean-agus-nua/

From the renowned Irish documentarian, doubly Oscar-nominated Louis Marcus, this film is an affectionate portrait of generations of Dublin and Dubliners. Cleverly juxtaposing photographic images from the 1900s with vibrant sequences from the early 1970s, Louis Marcus celebrates the everyday life of Dubliners from street traders; office workers; commuters; and intrepid children who have made the city their playground. His keen sense of irony is conveyed in the stark contrast between the nostalgic voiceover and the captured images. The film features a voiceover in Irish and English.

Dubliners Sean agus Nua was one of a series of longer films made for cinema by Louis Marcus for Gael Linn following the success of their Amharc Éireann newsreel (1956 – 1964). The films were made to promote the Irish language and were primarily presented in Irish, but some, like Dubliners, carry both Irish and English commentary. All were directed by Louis Marcus and, from 1965, all were filmed by his longtime friend and collaborator cinematographer Bob Monks.

Dubliners Sean agus Nua is part of The Louis Marcus Collection on the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Páistí ag Obair (1973)

Páistí ag Obair (1973)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Gael Linn 
Duration: 10 mins
Language: Dialogue-free

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/paisti-ag-obair/

Louis Marcus’s observational documentary Páistí ag Obair (Children at Work) watches children learning through play in Irish Montessori schools in the 1970s.

A voiceover, in both Irish and English, explains the Montessori method which celebrates the importance of play in developing children’s potential. Children are seen in classrooms playing with Montessori materials which promote reasoning and judgement. These charming sequences are accompanied by jaunty jazz music from French flautist Raymond Guiot.

The three schools featured in Páistí ag Obair are Tigh na nÓg, Blessington; St Kieran’s School, Bray; and The Children’s House, Stillorgan.

Páistí ag Obair is part of The Louis Marcus Collection of the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Conquest of Light (1975)

Conquest of Light (1975)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Louis Marcus Productions
Duration: 11 mins
Language: English

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/conquest-of-light/

Conquest of Light celebrates the process, expertise, and craftsmen at the Waterford Glass factory in Ireland.

Through stunning and vibrant cinematography, Louis Marcus examines the mesmerising construction of clear crystal glass pieces created by the craftsmen of Waterford. The process from the intense heat of the furnace to glassblowing, shaping, cutting, honing, filling, and finishing is all depicted in this celebration of the art of the creation of Waterford Glass.

Conquest of Light is part of The Louis Marcus Collection of the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/  

Film still from Discovering Ireland (1982)

Discovering Ireland (1982)
Directed by Louis Marcus
Produced by Louis Marcus 
Duration: 28 mins
Language: English

WATCH NOW: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/discovering-ireland/

This tourism promotional film was produced in 1982 by Bord Fáilte (now known as Fáilte Ireland) and presents Ireland and its rich history as an attractive holiday destination.

From the bustling streets of Dublin during the St Patrick’s Day Parade, to the serene calm of the River Shannon, this film, directed by Louis Marcus, shows the breadth of choice Ireland has to offer any visitor.

The 1980s were especially difficult times for Ireland. With high unemployment rates resulting in mass emigration, the country relied heavily on tourism to sustain the economy. Films like this one proved a useful tool in promoting the country to foreign travellers as an ideal place to visit, by showcasing the nation’s cultural and natural amenities. With extensive improvements in transportation and local infrastructure, coupled with extensive marketing plans to promote Irish heritage, Ireland quickly became a busy tourist destination in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Discovering Ireland is part of The Louis Marcus Collection of the IFI Archive Player. To view more of the collection, please click here: https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/louis-marcus/

The IFI Archive Player

The IFI Archive Player is a virtual viewing room for the remarkable moving image collections held in the IFI Irish Film Archive, giving audiences across the globe instant access to this rich heritage. With over 900 films available on the IFI Archive Player, the material has been curated to give audiences a taste of the breadth and depth of the collections preserved by the archive. Home movies, newsreels, travelogues, animations, feature films, public information films and documentaries have been included as we have tried to reflect all aspects of indigenous amateur and professional production.

EXPLORE THE COLLECTIONS

IFI is dedicated to ensuring our national moving image collection is preserved and now globally accessible, on behalf of the nation, for future generations. The development of the IFI Archive Player and suite of applications is a significant step for us as it truly democratises access, and we continue to build on the content with new collections and seasonal releases.

Download the IFI Archive Player App

IFI has partnered with Axonista, Ireland’s leading video technology company, to greatly increase accessibility of its Irish moving image collection through cutting-edge distribution to a variety of popular video-capable devices. The latest upgrade to the IFI Archive Player apps brings interactivity to our archive material, with supporting media such as behind-the-scenes photos, storyboards, interviews and more accompanying the video content.

The IFI Archive Player Apps are available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for iOS and Android phones, with apps for TV platforms available on Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV & Roku.

IFI Supporters

The Louis Marcus Collection on the IFI Archive player is supported by the Arts Council, Axonista, Culture Ireland, and Gael Linn.

The IFI Archive Player is developed with the support and partnership of Axonista.

The IFI acknowledges the support of the Arts Council.