Pat Collins’ “Song of Granite,” about the life of folk singer Joe Heaney, is Ireland’s selection for best foreign-language film at the 2018 Academy Awards.
“Song of Granite,” which debuted at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, dramatizes the story of Irish sean nós (old style) singer Joe Heaney, fusing filmed elements with documentary footage of him. Director Collins co-wrote the feature with Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde and Sharon Whooley.
Heaney was an important figure in traditional Irish music. “He remains one of the great traditional singers,” Collins said. “I think he would have liked the notion of a film with sean nós singing at its core representing Ireland in an international competition like the Oscars.”
The movie was chosen by a committee of the Irish Film & Television Academy from a short list of three titles: “Song of Granite,” “Rocky Ros Muc,” and “Aithrí.”
Áine Moriarty, the CEO of the Irish academy, said of “Song of Granite”: “With Richard Kendrick’s masterful cinematography, Ireland’s picturesque landscape and unique culture of song and story takes center stage, as the story of legendary singer Joe Heaney is skillfully brought to life – a story that will resonate with many immigrants worldwide from diverse cultural backgrounds.”
“Song of Granite” is a Marcie Films, Amerique Film production with Harvest Films, South Wind Blows, Roads Entertainment. Oscilloscope is releasing the film in the U.S., Thunderbird in the U.K. and Canada, and Wildcard in Ireland.
