BY LOUISE DOYLE
A FILM to be shown in Donegal cinemas this weekend about a teenage girl who died giving birth at a religious shrine almost four decades ago gives the young woman back her voice, its writer has said.
‘Ann’ has been produced by Gaoth Dobhair man Ferdia Doherty, who now lives in Chicago, and penned by award-winning writer and director Ciaran Creagh.
The double Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) nominee and Dublin International Film Festival winner tells the story of Ann Lovett, from Granard, County Longford, who was just 15-years-old when she died giving birth to her baby beside a grotto on January 31, 1984. Her baby son, named Patrick, also died at the same time.
The tragedy played a huge part in a seminal national debate on shame and the country’s treatment of young women giving birth outside of marriage.
The observational narrative drama shines a light into the last day of Ann’s life, a girl alone, abandoned by society, by its prejudices, taboos and traditions.
The film will be shown this weekend in Letterkenny, Gaoth Dobhair and Bundoran.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Ciaran said Ann’s story has stayed with him in the years since the tragic events.
“I was a teenager when this happened and it was a story that struck me deeply, even as a teenager. I remember reading about it in newspapers and not believing that such a terrible thing could happen. It has stayed with me all these years, and it was always a story that I believed needed to be told.
“The film is set in one day over 13 hours. It’s a feature style film which I wrote in 2018. It was filmed in July 2021 in Roscommon and it’s set over the hours of 6.30am to 7.30pm. Initially it was going to be called Thirteen Hours but we felt Ann needed to be given her name.
“It is an important topic and Ann’s story remains so important. I believe Ann never had a voice and with this film we wanted to give her her rightful voice. Ireland in the 80s must have been a very hurtful place for Ann. What I discovered about Ann was her resilience and strength. Where other women may have crumbled, Ann didn’t. She was a tough young woman.”
Ciaran said Ann was treated unjust and her story will resonate with many, not only in Ireland but globally.
“This is a small Irish story but it is also universal, so many have found themselves in this exact situation. Even now it is still sparking conversation. We have seen the films about theMagdalene laundries and the bravery of the women who spoke out against those institutions but not much was ever known or spoken about about Ann.”
Ann was first shown in 2022 in Tallinn in Estonia and it had its Irish premiere at the Dublin Film Festival.
“I think it has been received very well. It’s a very hard subject matter but we have had good feedback on it. Some have told us that two weeks after watching it the film stayed in their thoughts,” said Ciaran.
Ann was made in association with RTE and stars Eileen Walsh, Ian Beattie, Zara Devlin, Senna O’Hara, Frank O’Sullivan, Joe Mullins and Sean T. O’Meallaigh.
Meanwhile, Ciaran has been in Donegal in recent weeks to visit a number of locations in the north of the county for his next film, ‘Cry From the Sea’.
Filming is due to get underway next month. Written by Ciaran and starring Aidan Quinn, it tells the story of a lighthouse keeper stuck in a cycle of grief and the three people who change the course of his life: the housekeeper who quietly yearns for him; the beautiful American war widow whose quest for closure ignites something in him; and the hard-line priest, who starts a battle of wills with a man who has nothing to lose.
“The film is one of a love story but it is dark as well. Filming in Donegal and Mayo will start in May and I hope it will be on screens this year.”
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