Completed a year before his passing, Collins’ exploration of (arguably) the defining Irish writer of the modern era was filmed just prior to the publication of McGahern’s acclaimed memoirs, which form the backbone of this definitive portrait of the man’s life and times. It’s a testimony to the director’s skill and sensitivity as both interviewer and filmmaker that he gets the reluctant McGahern to open up on camera. The results are by turn fascinating and quietly moving, a portrait of an artist at peace in his final days. 

Tickets for each of the Pat Collins’ Short Works are priced at €5.

This film is screening as part of the IFI’s season, Poetic Truths: The Cinema of Pat Collins (August 4th – 21st).