spending time with a master…

The Galway Film Fleadh will be on next week, which means I’ll be watching lots of movies and not blogging or writing as much.

Each year, the Fleadh hosts a director’s and actor’s masterclass, but this year, in conjunction with the Huston Film School, it’s having a screenwriter’s masterclass.

Even though I don’t have any “industry experience” I threw together a CV detailing my film-based education and applied for a place. There were more applications than places so I didn’t rate my chances.

But yesterday I got a phone call and was informed I’ve been given a place!

The masterclass is with Paul Laverty, who has worked closely with director Ken Loach, and has written films such as My Name is Joe, Bread and Roses, Sweet Sixteen and A Fond Kiss. Paul has lead an amazing life, so I’d be interested in meeting him just because of his life experiences:

Paul Laverty was born in Calcutta, India, to an Irish mother and Scottish father. He obtained a philosophy degree at the Gregorian University in Rome and later became a practising lawyer concentrating on civil and criminal law cases. In the mid-eighties he travelled to Nicaragua, and worked for a Nicaraguan domestic human rights organisation which provided hard evidence of human rights abuses. He travelled to the war-zones and obtained corroborated eyewitness accounts which were passed to international human rights organisations. After his time in Central America he made contact with British director Ken Loach as a result of which he wrote Carla’s Song.

It should be good…