Feargal Ward’s award-winning new Irish film The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid, on release in cinemas from Friday October 19th, will be accompanied by a series of panel discussions after selected screenings to reflect on the timely and controversial issues raised in the film. The panels will take place at the Irish Film Institute, Omniplex, Rathmines and the Eye Cinema, Galway.
Ward’s film investigates Kildare farmer Thomas Reid’s long struggle to resist a Compulsory Purchase Order from IDA Ireland who had identified his farm as having prime industrial development potential. Reid vowed to resist the sale under any circumstances and at any price. His story and the Irish Government’s subsequent response asks searching questions of how much one individual can be asked to sacrifice for the ‘national interest’.
Panel Details
IFI – Friday 19th Oct – 6.30pm Clare Daly TD; Feargal Ward, director; Tadhg O’Sullivan, filmmaker and editor; Colin Murphy, playwright & journalist (moderating). Book here.
Omniplex Rathmines – Sunday 21st Oct 6.30pm
Lenny Abrahamson, Oscar-nominated director; Feargal Ward, director & Tara Brady, journalist Irish Times (moderating). Book here
Thursday, 25th Oct Eye Cinema Galway 6.50pm Lelia Doolan, filmmaker and activist; Luke McManus, producer & Dr. Tony Tracy, (Huston School of Film & Digital Media, NUIG) (moderating) Book here
What is so excellent about The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid, is that, despite Reid’s deep peculiarity and quiet dysfunction, it is not the world of his crumbling Leixlip farm but the Ireland which surrounds it which comes to seem most in need of explanation and redemption. It’s our world, not his, which is the more troubling. I would urge anyone who values creative documentary film making to seek out this excellent, haunting and original film.
Lenny Abrahamson
I compliment Thomas Reid. In many ways he has been inspirational, a lone wolf taking on a giant single-handedly and winning, with five Supreme Court judges agreeing with him. However, that was not good enough. A multinational had to be given the land from under him and the law had to be changed to facilitate it. One can talk about selling and prostituting ourselves and giving it away, but today is a new low in that regard. Clare Daly TD
The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid is in selected cinemas on October 19th including IFI; Rathmines Omniplex; Mahon Point Omniplex, Cork; IMC Dún Laoghaire and Eye Cinema, Galway.
For more information see www.lonelybattle.com
The cinema release of The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid has received the support of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.