REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE BECKETT ON FILM PROJECT DUBLIN CASTLE THURSDAY
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE BECKETT ON FILM PROJECT DUBLIN CASTLE THURSDAY, 1ST FEBRUARY, 2001
Is cúis mhór áthais dom bheith anseo libh anocht, ar an ócáíd taitneamhach seo.
It is a great pleasure to join you here this evening in Dublin Castle, to celebrate the completion of the Beckett on Film project. I warmly welcome the many distinguished directors and actors from the world of film and theatre at home and abroad, who committed their talents to this remarkable undertaking and who are entitled tonight to take righteous pride in what is now an immense achievement. I congratulate all those involved for their belief in the integrity of the project and their sheer stamina and persistence in bringing it so successfully to life.
It has been said that a writer is always admired most, not by those who have read him, but by those who have merely heard about him. Samuel Beckett seems to be an exception to this rule. If you were to do a straw poll of the public’s perception of Beckett’s work, the chances are that you’d get responses along the lines of: “bleak”, “difficult” , “strange”, or even “one of Ireland’s greatest – what was that he wrote again?”. Ask the same group how many have actually read or seen any of Beckett’s plays and, while holding firmly to their opinions, the likelihood is that relatively few will have done so. Now however that the entire canon is on film, access to Beckett has been widened exponentially and we prepare ourselves for the verdicts from a new generation.
For those who committed to this project, the challenge of introducing Beckett to a new audience, or anew to an old audience, was a formidable one. Those forbidding preconceptions have so often masked the hope and the wry humour which persists even in the bleakest of Beckett’s works. That same dry, self-deprecating wit was also typical of Beckett himself. There is story told about him attending a sports event where he remarks “It’s a beautiful day”. “Yes”, comes the reply, “the sort of day that makes you glad to be alive”. “Ah” replies Beckett, “I wouldn’t go that far”.
Whether he would go that far today is anyone’s guess. It is certainly a good day for Literature, for drama, for film, for collaborative, creative endeavour. It is a good day for enquiring audiences and it is an especially good day for Dublin as the locus of the first ever screening of all 19 films. Beckett’s work has a distinctively Irish hue which accords to an Irish audience unique points of entry and empathy which film access can only augment. Yet these films address a global audience and an audience of theatre-going Beckett enthusiasts who could be hard taskmasters. The very positive reaction when certain of the films were shown at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals last year, is proof not just that Beckett’s work can translate successfully to the screen, but that this project has succeeded spectacularly in making that transition and gathering audiences old and new to itself and to Beckett.
It shows that increasing accessibility, opening doors to new audiences through the medium of film, does not mean compromising in any way on the integrity of the work. For those who might never have gone to see Beckett in the theatre, these films open up a new world of experience. And those who are seasoned theatre-goers, who indeed may have seen the Gate Theatre productions of the plays in Dublin almost a decade ago, or more recently in London, will find much to surprise and delight them.
Projects like this never get off the ground in the first place, unless you have people who are willing to take risks, to believe in the importance of pushing out boundaries and creating something of lasting value. I would like to pay tribute to the Beckett Estate, and especially to Edward Beckett, for taking that leap of faith in the talents of the production, artistic and broadcasting team behind this project. But then, I’m sure the fact that Michael Colgan and Alan Moloney were involved, with their exceptional track record and deep empathy for Beckett’s plays, made an enormous difference. I congratulate Michael and Alan, and all their team on this wonderful achievement. A special word of thanks also, to RTE, Channel 4, Tyrone Productions and the Irish Film Board, for their steadfast support of the project.
These 19 films are the result of an extraordinary confluence of talent, from up and coming young Irish film-makers, to the most admired and accomplished established international directors and actors. Too many to mention but each entitled to enormous credit and thanks! Between you, you have crafted a precious gift to the rest of us.
In honour of that gift we gather here to celebrate, to wish you and the Films well. May your faith in them and in Samuel Beckett be rewarded many times over. Have a wonderful evening and congratulations once again to each one of you.