Two Atlanta-based filmmakers are seeking support for a documentary that explores how Ulster Scots in Ireland and Scots-Irish in the United States have helped shape Western democracy.
"The Scots-Irish - A Musical Journey" by Chris Moser and David Hughes Duke blends traditional musical performances and storytelling to explore how Scots-descended immigrants from the north of Ireland influenced democracy in the US.
Moser and Hughes Duke say that the documentary will "not be ancestor worship" but rather an objective history based on solid scholarship.
"Moreover, it will confound conventional wisdom by underscoring the common bonds between Irish Catholics and Protestants in Ireland and in the US, rather than just dwelling on the differences that have sometimes divided them," the two filmmakers said in a statement.
Morris and Hughes Duke say the film will be two hours long and combines conventional documentary narratives with musical performances to tell the story of the Scots-Irish and their impact on US democracy.
"The film will interweave the narrative with musical performances -- mostly traditional ballads and some instrumental pieces -- that illustrate and emotionally reflect on the stories told in the narrative," Morris and Hughes Duke said.
"Some of the musical selections will be archival, but most will be performed by an ensemble of American and Irish singers and musicians organized and led by legendary folk singer John McCutcheon, the film’s narrator, for the project."
The film will be offered to all PBS affiliates for broadcast in addition to public service broadcasters in Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe. There will also be online digital supplemental material.
Morris and Hughes Duke are currently seeking donors for the project and say that it will boost American tourism and investment in the North of Ireland.
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