To coincide with the launch of Bob Quinn’s new book Maverick: a Dissident View of Broadcasting Today, the Irish Film Archive is screening a selection of films from his career as an independent filmmaker. Bob Quinn was born in Dublin and has lived and worked in Connemara since 1970. His filmmaking career began after a wide variety of jobs, including stints as a teacher, a commercial representative and a not altogether agreeable period in RTE. In 1975 he made the highly original and successful Lament for Art O’Leary and soon after continued to establish his reputation with Poitin (1978) and Atlantean (1984). He has made approximately 100 short films for Irish and international television. His most recent feature The Bishop’s Story (1993) was an unusual and beautiful film which starred the late Donal McCann.
Quinn was appointed to the RTE authority in 1995 and for many years he battled to ban children’s advertising on television. He was the first filmmaker to be elected by the members of Aosdana, the Irish Academy of Artists.

Cloch (1975)
The film follows the creation of a sculpture by artist James McKenna, who died earlier this year, and includes contributions by Cliodhna Cussen, Noel Hoare and Brid Ni Rinn. What interested Quinn was ‘the physical relationship between a person and inanimate material. I wanted to suggest that it’s a very sensual material. The clue I got for that was a sculptor who said to me: ‘I love to see people touching my sculptures’.’

Self Portrait with Red Car (1977)
Painter Brian Bourke is caught in an absurd acoustic situation in Connemara. As with many of Quinn’s films, Self Portrait features the music of Roger Doyle.

Family (1979)
Family is a record of time spent with a very different kind of familyoa family of ‘Screamers’ living in a commune in Burtonport, Co. Donegal. Scenes of extreme emotional violence are revealed as the Screamers explore Reichian theories of self-expression in their remote home. The community subsequently moved to Columbia, where they have experienced much opposition to their way of life.

Bob Quinn will be available to sign copies of his book prior to the screenings.