Henry Glassie: Field Work is a magisterial portrait by Pat Collins (That They May Face the Rising Sun) of the renowned American folklorist and ethnologist Henry Glassie, now in his eighties. The film is an intricate exposition of Glassie’s life’s work and a vehicle for Collin’s trademark perspicacity and keen eye for the smallest details which yield deep significance. The rituals and rhythms of working artists across Brazil, Turkey, North Carolina, and Ireland are recorded in languorously paced sequences which mirror the real time process of the crafting of the work. Glassie’s subject is folklore but his abiding love for the people who create it resonates throughout the film.

Screening on the occasion of the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Henry Glassie by UCD.

Followed by a Q&A with Henry Glassie and Pat Collins, hosted by broadcaster Vincent Woods.

Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn.