School movies with Oscar touch

IT’S not often that an Oscar-nominated movie director helps out with your school project.

But that’s exactly what happened to Transition Year students in Tralee’s Mercy Secondary School.

They were among a group chosen by Amnesty International to work with acclaimed directors on a series of short powerful films, which were screened at the festival yesterday.

They worked with Terry George, writer of In the Name of the Father and writer/director of Oscar-nominated Hotel Rwanda, on their film, Child of Our Time.

In collaboration with Mr George, the students produce a drama-documentary about a teenage girl and her father, who flee their war-torn country and the obstacles they experience while seeking refugee status in Ireland.

Other schools involved included The High School, Rathgar, Dublin, who worked with Osama director Julie LeBrocquy, St Louis Secondary School in Dundalk who worked with Nora director Pat Murphy and Holy Child Community School from Sallynoggin who worked with I Went Down director, Paddy Breathnach.

The films, designed to raise awareness of human rights issues in Ireland, will be released on a special DVD as part of Amnesty’s education programme for schools.

Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Colm Ó Cuanacháin, described the project as a unique collaboration.

“It has resulted in an inspiring, thought-provoking and ultimately challenging series of films.”