Street artist Joe Caslin, known for his large-scale black and white drawings, has released a compelling and emotive short film entitled ‘The Volunteers – We will let no life be worth less’. The film follows his installation of a four storey drawing on House Two in Trinity College’s Front Square last weekend.
The temporary drawing, which has gained significant public attention over the past week, and film reflect on Ireland’s century of progress and asks us what battles we must fight in the present. It is the first of a three-part series about modern volunteerism and some of Ireland’s most pressing issues: drug addiction, mental health, and direct provision.
Together the short film and street art piece look at the decriminalisation of drug addiction, and were released in concert with the Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill, currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas. They showcase three figures integral in addiction policy change, namely Lynn Ruane, Rachael Keogh, and Fiona O’Reilly.
The short film features a spoken word piece written by poet Erin Fornoff, performed by Ally Ní Chiaráin, and scored by Cian G. Sweeney.
The film is the culmination of the time and effort of twenty people who kindly donated resources and skills. It is directed by multi-award winning director Brian Deane (Volkswagen Joe, Blight & Céad Ghrá), and shot and produced by Robert Hallinan Flood (Coming Home & Cellar Door). The film is edited by Eamonn Cleary (Hill Street & Volkswagen Joe) of TW Films. The project is funded by the Arts Council and the Trinity Creative Challenge.
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