Analogue People in a Digital Age (2013)

When Ireland’s TV signal went fully digital, a camera crew went to local Irish pub in South Galway to discuss this change with the patrons – and whatever else is on their minds.

Since we have a load of blokes gently drinking and discussing themselves into the day, there is a certain relaxed spirit to the conversations and it is fun to see where they go to. Taking inspiration from that little piece of information that is lost in the transfer from analogue to digital, the film examines who and what is lost in the relentless rush forward. This film was made as part of the Irish Film Board/Bord Scannán na hÉireann Reality Bites short documentary scheme 2013. There are discussions over changes in life generally, about how old ways seem to be being pushed away, about reincarnation and the nature of death, about how to retune a television and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (the conclusion is Einstein was a “fecking eejit” by the way). The key thing is that it never is just a load of drunk people spouting off but rather it has quite a poetic spirit to it – and indeed the film perfectly encapsulates this as one of the subjects bows out the film with a piece of prose apropos of nothing and off the top of his head!

Directed by Keith Walsh.
Starring: Zac Clark, Silk Clark, Patrick O’Shaughnessy