Art – sustenance in difficult times
West Cork singer-songwriter Alan Daniel Tobin has come together with Kerry filmmaker Shaun O’Connor for a new music video drawing on the tales of the Selkie folk, mythological beings capable of shapeshifting from seal to human form.
‘The Consequences of Breaking the Heart - An Irish Folk Tale’ will launch at Connolly’s of Leap in West Cork this Saturday ahead of its worldwide release on 23 November.
The video was shot entirely in West Cork and takes influence from Irish folk tales of the Selkie, the multidisciplinary project is based on a script written by award-winning Irish screenwriter Paul Cahill.
The story is about Muirín and Tadhg, a young artistic couple living and working near the Irish coast.
Tadhg’s world is torn apart when Muirín suddenly disappears in the ocean. In his grief, Tadhg’s search for answers leads him to a stunning discovery.
It’s a story of love and the consequences of suddenly losing the person to which that love belonged, asking the question, ‘what can we do with our lives when we lose somebody without explanation?’.
Director Shaun O’Connor says: “Paul and I had initially planned the story as a short film but when I heard Alan’s album, which is so influenced by the ocean and the coast, I immediately thought of how well-suited the story would be to one of the songs.
“Even the title, ‘The Consequences of Breaking the Heart’, spoke so clearly to the tone and feel of the story. Paul and I went back to the script and restructured it to work in images only and fit the lyrics of Alan’s song.
“Initially we had planned to shoot the music video last year but Covid put it on the back burner for a while. As the restrictions lifted in the last few months, it’s been such a joy to finally get back out into the world and make new work. The story’s theme of art being a sustenance in difficult times also felt even more pertinent after Covid,” added Shaun O’Connor.
This is Shaun’s second time working with producer Sinéad Barry and director of photography Jass Foley, after collaborating on a short film ‘A White Horse’ in 2019.
That film put them on the longlist for an Academy Award in the following year.
The lead roles of Muirín and Tadhg are played by Elaine O’Dwyer and Barry McKiernan, with Claire Loy playing their friend Liz.
The official launch at Connolly’s on Saturday will also feature live performances of music from the film, created by Alan Daniel Tobin (ADT) and remixed by Cork-based musicians and producers Duncan Lutz and Denis Clifford.
The launch will kick off at 8pm in at Connolly’s of Leap.
Tickets are now on sale at €16.50 from uticket.ie.