Chris Wilson – I See You

It must have been about a year ago that I met Chris Wilson, and his partner Áine Ní Loingsigh. They were playing together in St Stephen’s Green. Not busking, but just jamming on cello and guitar for the hell of it. I shot some footage with a gimbal I’d just picked up, and we shared emails.

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A few months later Chris suggested we made a music video for his debut EP. I came up with a typically ambitious idea, and eventually, over herbal teas in Chris’s boho flat in the docklands he and Aine agreed to do it.

The resulting video is very much ‘stone soup filmmaking’, with a crew working largely for free and a shoestring budget. We shot in the house my great great grandfather built at the turn of the century in Carrigabruise Cavan.

The band (Chris and Áine) gave absolutely stunning performances as a rural couple struggling with poverty and the pain of a hard turn of the century life. Lee Murphy paints an incredibly moving portrait of their child.

The video was shot by Andy Flaherty, Ismael Diarra and myself, with invaluable production from Jimmy Galvin at Shoot Cut Grade. Most of the crew worked for free, and gave their hearts completely to the project. Dan Kelleher, Donal Kelleher, Lisa Murphy, Shona Murphy, Laura Keane, Aisling Lynch, Lee Murphy and of course Nicole O’Connor were incredible as background artists. Costumes were provided by Ciaran Taylor of Carpet Theatre, who personally took us into his home to riddle through his haul of turn of the century garments. Thanks also to David Murphy of Smoke Stack Studios, who provided immense support to the production. Thanks also to my uncle and aunt Michael and Sheila Stack who let us use the old house, which was literally an irreplaceable setting for the video.

Credits

Written by Chris Wilson and Grahame Rolfe
Video by Gareth Stack
Director of Photographer – Andrew Flaherty
Camera Operator – Ismael Diarra
Producer – James Galvin, Shoot Cut Grade
Starring Chris Wilson, Áine Ní Loingsigh, Lee Murphy, Mike Timms.
Background Artists – Dan Kelleher, Aisling Lynch, Nicole O’Connor

The Wall in the Mind – 6 – Die Mauer Im Kopf

Download: The Wall in the Mind – 6 – Die Mauer Im Kopf

Claire meets an old friend at the abandoned CIA listening post at Teufelsberg (Devils Mountain). As a storm begins, Claire learns the truth about what happened to Emil. Violence, death, and horrible secrets from the past finally exhumed, in the final episode of The Wall in the Mind.

The Wall in the Mind

The Wall in the Mind  is an original radio drama series, scheduled to broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm, Saturdays at 7AM and 10PM GMT over the next three weeks.

The drama explores the consequences of the imprisonment of an Irish woman in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. The series combines a variety of innovative storytelling and sound production techniques to create a thrilling drama linked to real historic events. Listeners travel back and forth in time, as Irish woman Claire O’Hanlon tries to make sense of her experiences as a teenager in communist East Berlin and to solve the mystery of her vanished first love, Emil.

Writer / Director Gareth Stack travelled to Berlin to research the historic locations featured in the series. There he explored the ruins of the paramilitary police barracks, where on 7^th and 8^th October 1989 hundreds of East German protestors were held in one of the last desperate acts of a tyrannical regime. Thousands marched as the communist government faced revolution on the streets. Those unlucky enough to be arrested were tortured by the notorious ‘Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft’ paramilitary police. These events inspired a story that explores the marks history leaves on the lives of ordinary people.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

The Wall in the Mind – 5 – Who is Emil Reichman?

Download: The Wall in the Mind – 5 – Who is Emil Reichman?

Claire is pushed to extremes in her quest to discover what happened to Emil. Her actions have consequences, both for her and the people she loves. Claire receives another mysterious tape, recorded after her release from jail in 1989, revealing a terrible secret from the past.

The Wall in the Mind

The Wall in the Mind  is an original radio drama series, scheduled to broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm, Saturdays at 7AM and 10PM GMT over the next three weeks.

The drama explores the consequences of the imprisonment of an Irish woman in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. The series combines a variety of innovative storytelling and sound production techniques to create a thrilling drama linked to real historic events. Listeners travel back and forth in time, as Irish woman Claire O’Hanlon tries to make sense of her experiences as a teenager in communist East Berlin and to solve the mystery of her vanished first love, Emil.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

The Wall in the Mind – 4 – Secrets & Lies

Download: The Wall in the Mind – 4 – Secrets and Lies

In Episode 4 of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ we learn more about the relationship between Claire and Emil, and Claire’s friendship with Matthaus back in 1989. Claire confesses to Matthaus why she came to Germany. In the present, Matthaus tries to convince Claire not to illegally pursue her former Stasi tormentor. Torture, squat raids, riotous vengeance and wishful thinking in part four of our cold war mystery series!

The Wall in the Mind

The Wall in the Mind  is an original radio drama series, scheduled to broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm, Saturdays at 7AM and 10PM GMT over the next three weeks.

The drama explores the consequences of the imprisonment of an Irish woman in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. The series combines a variety of innovative storytelling and sound production techniques to create a thrilling drama linked to real historic events. Listeners travel back and forth in time, as Irish woman Claire O’Hanlon tries to make sense of her experiences as a teenager in communist East Berlin and to solve the mystery of her vanished first love, Emil.

Writer / Director Gareth Stack travelled to Berlin to research the historic locations featured in the series. There he explored the ruins of the paramilitary police barracks, where on 7^th and 8^th October 1989 hundreds of East German protestors were held in one of the last desperate acts of a tyrannical regime. Thousands marched as the communist government faced revolution on the streets. Those unlucky enough to be arrested were tortured by the notorious ‘Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft’ paramilitary police. These events inspired a story that explores the marks history leaves on the lives of ordinary people.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

The Wall in the Mind – 3 – No Friends Like Old Friends

Download: The Wall in the Mind – 3 – No Friends Like Old Friends

Update: Soundcloud is currently broken (I’m substituting local links, apologies if this screws with your podcast feed).

Shortly after her release from prison in 1989, Claire believes she can see Emil in videotaped footage of the fall of the wall. In 2014, Stuart is suspicious of Claire’s new squatter friends. With the help of Nicole, Matthaus’s activist daughter Claire travels to the Stasi Museum, to see if she can discover a clue as to what happened to Emil. This is the first step leading her back to Mörderberg, and the ruins of the barracks of the dreaded Volkspolizei Bereitschaft.

The Wall in the Mind

The Wall in the Mind  is an original radio drama series, scheduled to broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm, Saturdays at 7AM and 10PM GMT over the next three weeks.

The drama explores the consequences of the imprisonment of an Irish woman in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. The series combines a variety of innovative storytelling and sound production techniques to create a thrilling drama linked to real historic events. Listeners travel back and forth in time, as Irish woman Claire O’Hanlon tries to make sense of her experiences as a teenager in communist East Berlin and to solve the mystery of her vanished first love, Emil.

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

The Wall in the Mind – 2 – The People’s Republic of Friedrichshain

Download: The Wall in the Mind – 2 – The People’s Republic of Friedrichshain

We slip between past and future – Claire’s memories of her incarceration and her search for answers in the present. Claire finds the city, and her old friends much changed. Claire searches for Emil amongst the last of the Berlin squats, and becomes entangled in a police raid. In 1989, Claire is imprisoned in the notorious Stasi jail Bautzen II. Her only comfort Emil, imprisoned in the next cell.

The Wall in the Mind

The Wall in the Mind  is an original radio drama series, scheduled to broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm, Saturdays at 7AM and 10PM GMT over the next three weeks.

The drama explores the consequences of the imprisonment of an Irish woman in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. The series combines a variety of innovative storytelling and sound production techniques to create a thrilling drama linked to real historic events. Listeners travel back and forth in time, as Irish woman Claire O’Hanlon tries to make sense of her experiences as a teenager in communist East Berlin and to solve the mystery of her vanished first love, Emil.

Writer / Director Gareth Stack travelled to Berlin to research the historic locations featured in the series. There he explored the ruins of the paramilitary police barracks, where on 7^th and 8^th October 1989 hundreds of East German protestors were held in one of the last desperate acts of a tyrannical regime. Thousands marched as the communist government faced revolution on the streets. Those unlucky enough to be arrested were tortured by the notorious ‘Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft’ paramilitary police. These events inspired a story that explores the marks history leaves on the lives of ordinary people.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

The Wall in the Mind – 1 – The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere

Download: Behind the Wall – 1 – The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere

Update: Soundcloud is currently broken (I’m substituting local links, apologies if this screws with your podcast feed).

Claire O’Hanlon, a respected lecturer, is tormented by nightmares of her arrest and imprisonment in 1989. In the present day – a mysterious cassette tape arrives at Claire’s home in Maynooth. The tape is a hidden recording produced during her time in Berlin, and Claire is instantly transported back to her adolescence. She decides to return to Berlin to track down the traitor recording her adolescent conversations for the dreaded Stasi. Claire’s husband Stuart tags along, worried Claire’s mental health difficulties will re-emerge. Unbeknownst to Stuart, Claire has another reason to visit Berlin. Emil, the love of her life, disappeared during the protests in Berlin. Now Claire wonders, ‘Is Emil alive after all?’

The Wall in the Mind

The Wall in the Mind  is an original radio drama series, scheduled to broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm, Saturdays at 7AM and 10PM GMT over the next three weeks.

The drama explores the consequences of the imprisonment of an Irish woman in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. The series combines a variety of innovative storytelling and sound production techniques to create a thrilling drama linked to real historic events. Listeners travel back and forth in time, as Irish woman Claire O’Hanlon tries to make sense of her experiences as a teenager in communist East Berlin and to solve the mystery of her vanished first love, Emil.

Writer / Director Gareth Stack travelled to Berlin to research the historic locations featured in the series. There he explored the ruins of the paramilitary police barracks, where on 7^th and 8^th October 1989 hundreds of East German protestors were held in one of the last desperate acts of a tyrannical regime. Thousands marched as the communist government faced revolution on the streets. Those unlucky enough to be arrested were tortured by the notorious ‘Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft’ paramilitary police. These events inspired a story that explores the marks history leaves on the lives of ordinary people.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

Behind the Wall – 15 – The Card in the Rubble

Download: Behind the Wall – 15 – The Card in the Rubble

In the final behind the scenes episode of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ I talk about the mysterious find that inspired the mystery at the heart of the series. At a town outside Berlin called Blankenburg. There lie the ruins of a barracks of the dread Volkspolizei Bereitschaft. It was here that protestors rounded up  on the 7th and 8th of October 1989 were taken and tortured. A notorious incident that helped bring down the East German government. Hidden in the rubble I found this card, dropped by a staff member in the last days of communism. Today’s episode is about how our modern bureaucracy parallels some of the worst aspects of the DDR. How ubiquitous surveillance creates a panopticon to rival the worst communist tyranny. The card served as the link, a physical connection between our time and  the past. Hidden in a city somehow inoculated by it’s experience of tyranny.  Somehow protected from the worst extinctions of imagination at the heart of late capitalism. The city as contradiction, trap, exception, lesson. A card in the rubble.

 

Behind the Wall

Behind The Wall is a series of special feature podcasts accompanying ‘The Wall in the Mind‘, an ambitious new on-location drama series, coming to Newstalk and podcast starting on Saturday the 16th of April @ 7AM & 10PM. Each episode features an interview or behind the scenes clip. Think of it like the ‘making of’ special features on a DVD or Blu-Ray.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

Behind the Wall – 14 – Mia Gallagher Interview

Download: Behind The Wall – 14 – Mia Gallagher Interview

Mia Gallagher is an actress and author who plays one half of the lead role of Claire in the Wall in the Mind. We talk about playing a complex tormented character, collaboration between actor and writer and the physicality of performance.

Mia’s latest novel ‘Beautiful pictures of the lost homeland’ also launches this week. You can order it here. Synopsis below.

Sometime around now a bomb-blast in the London Underground rips through space and time, unearthing four inter-whirling stories from the present and the past. Geo (once Georgie, now Georgia) receives a call offering work and a way to escape her home, her memories and her own inertia – and so begins a road trip spiked with the hidden dangers of her past and present. In the lead up to the Underground explosion, an elderly German woman, Anna Bauer, recounts her own war story to a film crew. In the 1970s, as the Madden family begins to disintegrate, a disruptive stranger arrives who will bind them, if only briefly. And all along, pinballing in a parallel reality, we the ‘visitors’, are guided through an unsettling and volatile tour of the ‘Museum of Curiosities’. In Beautiful Pictures of the Lost Homeland, the past crosses, weaves and whispers by the present; generations are bound together and cleaved apart; and as they unspool, the fragmented lives of four people become a whole, where time is unknowable.

Behind the Wall

Behind The Wall is a series of special feature podcasts accompanying ‘The Wall in the Mind‘, an ambitious new on-location drama series, coming to Newstalk and podcast starting on Saturday the 16th of April @ 7AM & 10PM. Each episode features an interview or behind the scenes clip. Think of it like the ‘making of’ special features on a DVD or Blu-Ray.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.

Behind the Wall – 13 – James O’Connor Interview

Download: Behind the Wall – 13 – James O’Connor Interview

In today’s episode of ‘Behind The Wall’ I speak to writer / director and one of the stars of ‘The Wall in the Mind’, James O’Connor. James plays the character of Emil Reichmann, a squatter and activist fighting against the corrupt communist regime of the DDR. We talk about acting for radio, and being the human macguffin in a cold war mystery.

Behind the Wall

Behind The Wall is a series of special feature podcasts accompanying ‘The Wall in the Mind‘, an ambitious new on-location drama series, coming to Newstalk and podcast starting on Saturday the 16th of April @ 7AM & 10PM. Each episode features an interview or behind the scenes clip. Think of it like the ‘making of’ special features on a DVD or Blu-Ray.

 

You can subscribe to these bonus episodes, and download or stream the podcast of ‘The Wall in the Mind’ at the following places – iTunes, RSS, Soundcloud.

Credits – Images, Cast & Crew, Dead Medium Productions.