Adapted by director Maurice O’Callaghan from his story ‘The Shilling’, Broken Harvest is a moving reflection on dramatic events in Irish history as seen through the eyes of a child. Returning home from New York because of a death in the family, the chief protagonist remembers his youth in rural Cork during the 1950s. The young Jimmy O’Leary is so captivated by things American that he’s barely aware of his country’s turbulent past and its lingering aftermath until a childish misdemeanour brings all the old conflicts to the surface. Although touching on just about every important issue of the day, the film never feels like a history lesson because everything is filtered by memory and presented though the innocent eyes of youth. Heartfelt and clearly a labour of love, Broken Harvest has a strong feel for rural life and some outstanding cinematography by Jack Conroy.
This screening coincides with the launch of Maurice O’Callaghan’s ‘A Day For the Fire’ and Other Stories, a collection that includes the short story on which Broken Harvest is based.