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Your upcoming film Grainne Uaile: The Movie - in a few words,
what is it about?
Grainne Uaile: The Movie
is 4 hr and 30 minute historical
dramatization on the life of Grace O Malley, the
Irish pirate queen from the 16th century who
patrolled the Irish coast and demanded that anyone
who crossed her path pay a 'water tax'. She was a
thorn in the side of the English who occupied
Ireland at the time. In her own right an important
chieftain from a well known clan, she was a
political mastermind who was also a fearless,
ruthless pirate who commanded her crew with an iron
hand and brought chaos where ever she sailed. The
movie is a violent. dramatic and edgy exploration of
an incredible woman, her life and an important part
of Irish history. The story of Grainne Uaile (Grace O Malley) is one
of Irelands greatest stories and the incredible and
true story of a great iconic woman, she was a
fighter, a rebel, a tactician, a pirate and sea
Captain, a noble woman who even met Queen Elizabeth,
which in itself was a massive feat for any Irish
noble. Her story happens to the backdrop of the
English/Spanish war so a particularly significant
part of history. The 16th century was a violent,
terrible time, with a very low life expectancy.
Grainne was an incredible sea Captain whose crew and
soldiers remained faithful to her, at the time it
was rare for sea generals to not have a mutinous
crew, probably with her a mixture of respect and
fear. In short this is the tale of a remarkable
woman who created her own destiny
When she was a child she wanted to sail with her
pirate father Donal, who didn't think the sea was a
place for women, so she chopped off her hair and
stole aboard. The ship was attacked by English and a
raging battle soon ensued. It was then that her
father called her Grainne Uaile, meaning 'bald'. The
name stuck and she was infamous for her battle
tactics, cut throat prowess and intensity. Not a
woman you want to cross! Looks very impressive!
How long did it take to film Grainne Uaile: The Movie,
and when and where might it be released upon the general public?
It is a massive production with castles, ships,
horses, swords, incredible fights sequences, large
scale set pieces, a huge cast, spanning a life story
of 70 years, so filmed through two sets of seasons,
often battling with the raging elements, near
freezing conditions in the brutal and yet beautiful
landscape of Ireland, culminating in a gritty and
thought-provoking dramatic movie with a climatic and
violent payoff. By no means an easy film to make. The
cast and crew were pushed to the limits and beyond
with no trailers, toilets or any of the usual
amenities. The energy of this endurance can be seen
on the screen. If anything is practically impossible
to create then it is exactly the sort of project
that is worth doing. This was a very special (and
grueling) journey to take, but it is only right that
we went through such hell as Grainne Uaile is and
was the ultimate badass. It is now completed and
currently on the festival circuit and in talks with
distributors. We will post news on the films
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/grainneuailethemovie
as it comes in. Our website is
http://loosegrippfilms.co.uk,
find us on Twitter @loosegrippfilms and find me
@ciarondavies
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Any
past and future projects you'd like to share?
Currently we are filming Cu Chulainn, a fantasy epic
about the life of the Irish Celtic warrior hero of
the same name, based on the ancient mythology. A tale
of gods, godesses, heros, fighting clans, dark
magic, romance and adventure! Also we have another
epic short sci fi B movie comedy going into filming, It
Came from Dimension X.
Previously we created Intersection Number
Nine, a
dark noir horror art film, Invasion
Ireland, a comedy sci-fi satire, The 5th
Dimension, noir
fantasy, and The Magic
Island, an epic short,
fantasy, macabre comedy, somewhere between Pirates
of the Caribbean and The
Seventh Seal. These are all
streaming somewhere or other now, Amazon, Fantasy
Network, and other realms! What got you into
filmmaking in the first place, and did your recieve any formal training on
the subject?
Ever since I
was a child I always wanted to be a filmmaker and
was fascinated by films, old and new. Love the
medium from a storytelling point of view. Cinema
itself is like a modern church or the joining of
people from cultures and social groups as would have
been done in ancient celtic times with a grizzled
and worldly storyteller around the fireside telling
tales of daring adventure, intrigue and romance,
kings and queens, gods and goddesses to capture the
imaginations of the listeners and make their hearts
skip a beat. Film is a powerful medium, a form of
magic where the viewers are transported to ancient
times or alien worlds or live out the lives of
others in dramatic timelines, that not only
entertain but remind us of who we are, where we have
been, and where we may be going. I have always loved
cinema, especially the classic sweeping epics such
as Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Spartacus,
Lawrence of Arabia.
How did The 5th
Dimension come
about?
I had wanted to experiment with a
non linear time frame and to cross genres of time
and space. What better than the idea of the
metaphysical forms of Fate and Destiny battling
through alternative dimensions for eternity? It's
film noir, but it's also fantasy and sci-fi and
horror all mixed together in a bag with a nuclear
bomb inside it with the look and feel of a comic
book. Impending doom also is a slow trigger used
throughout, and I wanted to break the third wall by
employing massive widescreen closeups to give us a
feeling of genuine disturbance.
How would you
describe yourself as a director? As a director I have a very clear vision of what I
want on the screen after its edited, like to build
an atmosphere for the actors and also interested in
extreme technical visualizations, costume, makeup,
hair, lighting, the whole package. Interested in
great stories, intense acting and stunning visuals.
Often our shoots are grueling and demanding
physically and mentally, but true magic comes from
pushing the boundries and going beyond the realms of
possibility. Filmmakers who inspire
you? Favourite directors are Kubrick, Peckinpah, Coen
Brothers, Terry Gilliam, Ken Russell, Kurasawa,
Sergio Leone. I love all genres of film, anything
which is authentic, beautiful, meaningful, has great
depth and truth, art, the immortal. Your favourite movies? Lawrence of
Arabia - stunning and
splendour, amazing cinematography, faultless script.
Peter O Toole's performance a master class in the
metamorphosis. It's a perfect film. For a Few Dollars More, greatest western ever made, incredible
atmosphere. Genius directing and acting from Gian
Maria Volonté played El Indio, possibly one of the
greatest cinema villains along with Hannibal
Lecter.
He brings a depth to his psychotic character, which
has sensitivity, loneliness and an insatiable lust
for vengeance. And of course Clint Eastwood, which
brings us to Dirty Harry and The
Unforgiven - say no
more.
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... and of
course, films you really deplore? Rather than deplore, love to embrace B MOVIES! The worse they are the better. There is nothing as
satisfying as two grown men in terrible rubber
creature costumes wrestling each other in muck and
and stomping on cardboard cities. Hollywood
blockbuster versions of Godzilla will never reach
the pure greatness and genius that is say Godzilla
vs the Smog Monster. Or even Zontar the
Thing from Venus, an aweful sci-fi 'Z' movie based on a Roger Corman movie
[Roger Corman bio - click
here] which was based on
another movie. This film is so terrible that it
transcends awefulness and thus is the world's
greatest movie ever made. Maybe even the inspiration
for our new sci-fi, who knows. Its on YouTube, watch
it if you dare.
Your/your movie's
website, social media, whatever else?
Website: www.loosegrippfilms.co.uk
Social media:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/loosegrippfilms
Instagram: @ciarondavies
Twitter: @ciarondavies
Grainne Uaile: The Movie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grainneuailethemovie Thanks
for the interview!
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