Concept
My film production is based on the tragic Medieval Irish folk tale Deirdre, which tells of the forbidden love of Deirdre and Naoise. Recently there has been backlash when Theresa May secured a coalition with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This has put a spotlight on many of the DUP’s controversial beliefs regarding same sex relationships which most of the public were not aware of.
I have incorporated current political issues in Ulster into my production and focussing on the two main political parties in Northern Ireland, the Republican Party Sinn Féin and the Unionist Party the DUP. My Focus is on the history between these parties and their current disagreement on gay marriage. Gay marriage is currently illegal in Northern Ireland, the DUP strongly oppose this changing, whereas Sinn Féin back the legalisation of gay marriage in Northern Ireland. The DUP have stated that if Sinn Féin continue to push for the legislation of gay marriage through the Northern Ireland assembly, this will disrupt the peace agreement. In my reinterpretation of Deirdre the opposing views of the loyalists and republicans lead to war and destruction. This explores the very real danger of failure to reach agreement on the legalisation of gay marriage, disrupting the peace treaty and potentially ending in ‘the troubles’ returning to Northern Ireland.
My reinterpretation explore themes of forbidden love, prejudice, corrupt leadership, extreme violence and betrayal. The extreme violence in Deirdre echoes that of the troubles, I have reflected this through presenting republican and loyalist paramilitary groups through some characters.
As Deirdre’s main theme is forbidden love, I wanted to present what a prominent example of forbidden love is today in Northern Ireland and have changed the character of Naoise from a man to a woman, so that it is two women running away together.
I drew connections between the King of Ireland Conchobar with DUP politicians Ian Paisley and Ian Paisley Jr, mirroring their homophobic behaviour in Conchobar’s character and portraying his opposal to Naoise and Derider’s love to be homophobic. Ian Paisley and other DUP members set up the Third Force and Ulster Resistance, and attended their rallies and supported the paramilitary groups. Today the majority of Unionist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland support the DUP. I presented this connection in Deirdre by having Conchobar’s army as Ulster Resistance soldiers. I drew inspiration from loyalist paramilitary murals and anti gay marriage protests in Belfast to display as text on their breast plates.
I drew connections between Fergus, the previous king of Ireland, with Sinn Féin politicians Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness, who are supportive of gay marriage but also are considered to have had leadership roles within the IRA. Fergus is a republican, is friends with the children of Uisneach and supportive of Deirdre and Naoise’s love. The children of Uisneach are IRA rebels who support Sinn Féin and their desire for unity with Ireland and the legalisation of gay marriage.
I was inspired by 13th and 14th century silhouettes and incorporated some modern sectarian elements in my costume designs through textiles and symbols. In my paramilitary costumes I combined medieval armour with paramilitary visuals. For the republican characters I drew inspiration from Gay Pride parades and republican murals and graffiti, such as the IRA phoenix rising. For the loyalist characters I was inspired by loyalist murals, flags, Ian Paisleys Save Ulster from Sodomy campaign and homophobic quotes from DUP party members.
I have set my reinterpretation in late medieval Ireland to keep the original context of when this folklore tale was written and to demonstrate how ancient and long held the DUP beliefs are. During the medieval ages women were inferior to men and homosexuality was a crime punishable by death. This production is designed for film, the set design would consist of medieval buildings with elements of modern Belfast, such as painted murals on brick walls. In January 2018 I photographed loyalist and republican murals and propaganda in Belfast to inform my costume development.
Synopsis
King Conchobar was at a feast with his warriors of the Ulster Resistance. His druid, Cathbad, made a prophecy of the host’s unborn child. Cathbad said that the child was going to be a girl named Deirdre and she would be the most beautiful woman who ever lived, but her cursed beauty would cause a great war between the armies of Ireland. On hearing this, the men of the Ulster Resistance wanted the child to be killed. Conchobar said he would have the child raised in secret and would marry her and put her in such a high position that no man would look at her. When Deirdre was born, Conchobar had her taken to be raised in the care of Leabharcham, living in a hidden valley. Conchobar would go and visit Deirdre every year. She grew up as beautiful a child as had been prophesised, but she didn’t feel affection for Conchobar.
When Deirdre turned eighteen one winter she saw a calf being slaughtered. Blood spilt onto the snow and a raven flew down to eat it, Deirdre gasped and fainted. Deirdre told Leabharcham that she had fallen in love with the colours raven black, snow white and blood red. Leabharcham told her of the children of Uisneach who had those colourings, beautiful rebel warriors of the IRA. Deirdre begged Leabharcham to let her see them and she eventually gave into Deirdre and got the children of Uisneach to come to the valley to hunt. Deirdre saw Ainnle, Ardan and Naoise in the valley, she and Naoise instantly fell in love when they met, and they spent each day from then on meeting in secret. One night, Conchobar came to the valley and told Deirdre that she would be taken to Belfast in a few days to become his queen. So, Deirdre, Naoise and her brothers fled to the remote highlands of Scotland to begin a life of freedom in the wilderness, where and Naoise and Deirdre could express their love freely.
Conchobar’s rage at the betrayal cooled eventually after seven years. He had Fergus brought to him, he and Fergus had been in war with each other many years before but were now under a peace agreement. Conchobar told Fergus to invite the children of Uisneach and Deirdre back to Ulster and place them under his own protection as a guarantee of their safety. Fergus travelled to Scotland, found them and told them the news. Deidre had a bad premonition about returning to Ulster, but the children of Uisneach were so excited at the prospect of seeing their homeland and friends that they dismissed Deidre’s worries and insisted that she sailed back with them and Fergus to Ulster.
When the children of Uisneach and Deirdre arrived in Ulster Fergus was invited to a feast so left Leabharcham to escort them to a cottage to eat and drink. Leabharcham told Conchobar of their arrival and said Deirdre was no longer beautiful but had become old and weathered from the highlands, to help calm Conchobar’s jealously. Conchobar did not trust Leabharcham so he had one of his men go to spy on Deirdre. The man returned and said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen which enraged Conchobar and he sent his Ulster Resistance men to seize the children of Uisneach. The children of Uisneach battled with the Ulster Resistance soldiers for a long time until they and Deirdre were captured and brought to Conchobar. Conchobar argued with the children of Uisneach and in his spiteful jealousy became so enraged he had them beheaded.
When Fergus returned from the feast and saw what had happened he and the IRA rebels had a great battle with the Ulster Resistance men and burnt Belfast to the ground. Conchobar took Deirdre and fled to his palace, he surrounded her with the finest things and gifts. He tried to court her, but she despised him and his luxuries. Conchobar grew tired of his failed attempts and decided to send Deirdre to live for a year with the Ulster Resistance men who had killed her Naoise, hoping that when she came back she may be kinder to him.
Deirdre and Conchobar travelled in a chariot and when they passed a place where the cliffs hung over the road, Deirdre leaned her head out of the chariot and dashed her brains out against the rocks. She was buried in Belfast beside Naoise’s grave. Conchobar did not want them touching even in death and had stakes of wood driven into the ground between their two graves. But, the wood grew roots down into the graves and two trees grew up intertwined together, a symbol of their everlasting love.
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