Oidhche Sheanchais
Oidhche Sheanchais ([ˈiːçə ˈhan̪ˠxəʃ], "A Night of Storytelling"; variously given as The Storyteller, The Story Teller, Storyteller's Night, Night of Story-telling) is a 1935 Irish film directed by Robert J. Flaherty. It was produced during the sound recording session for his more famous docufiction film Man of Aran in London, and is notable as the first Irish language sync sound film.[1][2][3]
| Oidhche Sheanchais | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Robert J. Flaherty |
| Starring | Seáinín Tom Ó Dioráin Colman 'Tiger' King Maggie Dirrane Michael Dillane Patch 'Red Beard' Ruadh |
| Cinematography | Robert J. Flaherty |
| Edited by | John Goldman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Gaumont British Distributors |
Release date | 1935 |
Running time | 11 minutes |
| Country | Irish Free State |
| Language | Irish |
Production
Oidhche Sheanchais was filmed at Gaumont Studios.[4]
Plot
Four islanders (the actual cast of Man of Aran) gather around the hearth to hear island seanchaí Seáinín Tom Ó Dioráin tell a traditional story.
Loss and rediscovery
The film opened in a small number of cinemas in Dublin and Cork on St. Patrick's Day in 1935.[5] The press reaction was generally favourable with reviewers impressed by the seanchaí's performance. A critic from The Irish Times praised the film, although he did not understand Irish. But the public's reaction was one of apathy and it was withdrawn from general release after a week or two.[6]
A fire was believed to have destroyed all copies in 1943, but a nitrate distribution print was re-cataloged in 2012 in Harvard University's Houghton Library and soon pointed out by researchers. A restored 35 mm version was premiered in 2015.[7]
This version is only 11 minutes in length. Other records of a 20-minute version featuring exterior shots of the cottage appear to have been erroneous.
In November 2016, the film received its first ever television broadcast on TG4, Ireland's national language station. It was preceded by a 38 minute documentary called Oíche Chaillte an tSeanchaí (The Lost Night of the Storyteller). Directed by Kieran Concannon, this gave the background story of Oidhche Sheanchais.[8][9]
References
- "Irish Film Institute -FROM THE VAULTS: OIDHCHE SHEANCHAIS".
- Ó hÍde, Tomás (14 December 2014). "Robert Flaherty's Oidhche Sheanchais: The First Film in Irish". New Hibernia Review. 18 (4): 68–86. doi:10.1353/nhr.2014.0061. S2CID 144665033 – via Project MUSE.
- "Robert Flaherty's lost Irish Gaelic film found at Harvard". 3 July 2014.
- Rockett, Kevin; Gibbons, Luke; Hill, John (21 January 2014). "Cinema and Ireland". Routledge – via Google Books.
- Seáinín Tom Sheáin, pp. 109.
- Robbins, Tom (8 August 2016). "Stones of Aran: Pilgrimage". Faber & Faber – via Google Books.
- "Robert Flaherty's lost Irish Gaelic film found at Harvard - Scannain". 8 July 2014.
- Rockett, Kevin (1 January 1996). "The Irish Filmography: Fiction Films, 1896-1996". Red Mountain Media – via Google Books.
- MacKillop, James (1 January 1999). "Contemporary Irish Cinema: From The Quiet Man to Dancing at Lughnasa". Syracuse University Press – via Google Books.
- Ó hÍde, Tomás, Seáinín Tom Sheáin: From Árainn to the Silver Screen, Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann (Four Courts Press), 2019.