The documentary, Older Than Ireland, which tells the story of 100 years of life as seen through the eyes of 30 Irish centenarians, will be shown in cinemas in Boston, St. Paul, New York, Albany, and Atlanta in the coming weeks.
Directed by Alex Fegan, the movie features, among the 30 interviewees, Kathleen Snavely, the oldest living Irish person on record. Snavely (nee Haynes), a feisty woman, originally from County Clare, died in Syracuse, New York, in 2014 at the age of 113 (see a clip of Snavely below). Having lived in an incredible life Snavely’s wise words are just part of this poignant movie.
Older Than Ireland which had a major box office success in Ireland with release in over 35 theatres is set for limited release in the US and will soon be available on DVD.
The documentary explores 30 centenarian’s journeys, from birth at the dawn of Ireland’s independence to living in modern Ireland. Fegan, the man behind the documentary “The Irish Pub,” creates and effortless observational style offering a rare insight into the personal lives of his interviewees.
His subjects reflect on key events in this lives, from the days they got their first pair of shoes to the thrill of their first kiss, to the tragic loss of loved ones. Over 100 years they have witnessed great social, political and technological change. Each has their own perspective on the true meaning of life.
Fegan said the aim of his documentary is to explore what makes these 30 centenarians tick.
“As they reach the very end of their lives, we were curious to know what they think of the whole experience of life by asking about the little things that everyone experiences,” the director said, in a statement.
“We begin to understand that this is not just a story about being Irish, about death or about reaching a great age but ultimately this is a story about what it means to be alive. It is a story about what it means to be human. Ireland has just over 300 hundred centenarians and it is by interviewing 10% of those that we also observe the thoughts of a generation who experienced more changes than perhaps any previous generation. We hope people will be moved by their stories.”
For more information on the movie www.olderthanireland.com.
Here release dates in the USA:
- Boston From April 22nd - April 28th (Q&A with director April 22nd)
Kendall Square Theatre, Cambridge MA
- St. Paul, Minnesota 28th, 29th, 30th April (Q&A with director April 28th, 29th)
The Hamm Building, St. Paul
- NYC From April 29th - May 5th (Q&A with director April 30th, May 1st)
The Cinema Village, 22E 12th St, NYC
- Albany NY May 6th - May 12th
Spectrum 8, 290 Delaware Avenue
- Atlanta May 6th - May 12th
Midtown Art Cinema , 931 Monroe Drive
Below is an interview clip with Kathleen Snavely, the longest living Irish person:
Secret to living to 100, told by the longest living Irish personKathleen Hayes Rollins Snavely (1902 - 2015), the longest living Irish person in history, recalled one of the more sarcastic responses she ever gave to the question "How did you do it?" Kathleen, who passed away in July at the grand age of 113 years, 40 days, was not fond of being asked about the secret to longevity. “I was in the hospital a couple of years ago for a gall bladder surgery. I must have looked all right for my age. They wanted to know how old I was,” she recalls. “Well I told them. ‘Oh!!’ [they said]. They went and told the other girls. They came in and said ‘Oh, you look so good…’” (Trails off for a few seconds before remembering where she was.) “’What’s your secret?’ [they asked] ‘No.’ [Kathleen said] ‘What did you do?’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I worked a long time, and then I turned into a prostitute.’” She has a good, long laugh to herself. “I got so sick of it. I got so sick of ‘How did you do it?’ I did.” This exclusive clip comes from Older Than Ireland, a gorgeous new documentary from Element Pictures, which features interviews with 30 of Ireland's oldest citizens, all 100 years of age or older. Follow "Older Than Ireland" on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/olderthanireland) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/olderireland). Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/Exclusive-interview-clip-with-Kathleen-Snavely-longest-living-Irish-person-VIDEO.html
Posted by IrishCentral.com on Tuesday, September 29, 2015
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