The film takes the viewer on a journey around places with which the poet had a connection. It was commissioned on Yeats' 100th anniversary.
Are you a lover of W. B. Yeats? Whether or not you are, you are sure to fall in love with the places that inspired him in this incredible video from 1965.
This lyrical film was commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the centenary of the birth of W.B. Yeats in 1865.
It was the first Irish film by cinematographer and director Patrick Carey, who was renowned for his beautiful landscape films. An ambitious work, Carey uses direct quotations from Yeats’ writing to illustrate the countryside the poet knew so well.
The film takes the viewer on a journey around places with which the poet had a connection: Thoor Ballylee Castle, where Yeats made his home after marriage, and Coole Park, home of Lady Gregory where literary figures of the period met. Lissadell House, Knocknarea Mountain, the slopes of Ben Bulben, the waterfall at Glencar, and the Drumcliffe churchyard where Yeats is buried, are all featured.
Made for the Department of Foreign Affairs it won many awards including the Golden Bear in Berlin, and awards also in Chicago, Barcelona, Santa Barbara, before finally gaining an Academy Award nomination in 1965.
You can see more from The Department of Foreign Affairs Collection here.
"Yeats Country" is published here with thanks to the Irish Film Institute (IFI), which IrishCentral have partnered up with to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collection entails.
To watch more gems from Ireland’s past, visit the IFI Player, a virtual viewing room from the Irish Film Institute, giving audiences across the globe free instant access to Irish heritage preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive. Irish Culture from the last 100 years is reflected through documentaries, animation, adverts, amateur footage, feature film and much more. Or download the IFI Player Apps for free on iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.
IrishCentral has partnered up with the IFI to bring you a taste of what their remarkable collection entails. You can find all IrishCentral articles and videos from the IFI here.
