Filming the past for a better future: History, memory, and Irish cinema, 1988--2007

Abstract

In this study I look at the presentation of history in film and how that presentation/the films assist in the creation of memory. Using theories of collective memory and, what Robert Rosenstone terms, the "new history film," I look at how each film portrays history, the collective's role within the film's production, and what purpose the created memories serve. After providing a brief overview background of Irish film history, I offer an in-depth analysis of four films: Bloody Sunday (Paul Greengrass, 2002), The Magdalene Sisters (Peter Mullan, 2003), 12 Days in July (Margo Harkin, 1997), and Mother Ireland (Anne Crilly, 1988). In conclusion, I point out that there are a number of uses for the collective memory these films help to create.