County Kerry filmmaker and writer Shaun O’Connor and West Cork singer-songwriter Alan Daniel Tobin (ADT) have joined in collaboration on a new multidisciplinary project of film and music ‘The Consequences of Breaking the Heart – An Irish Folk Tale’, out now [Tuesday 23rd November].
The soundtrack was created by Alan Daniel Tobin (ADT). Member of renowned Irish folk band LOWmountain, ADT writes stories of the heart wrapped in atmospheric soundscapes.
’The Consequences of Breaking the Heart’ is taken from ADT’s debut album volume one, which was produced by multi-instrumentalist, Justin Grounds and recorded in a little room overlooking the beautiful town of Clonakilty, West Cork. Hugely influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the West Cork landscape and his family, ADT admits to a minor obsession with lighthouses.
To coincide with the video release, ADT also shares _ repurposed_, a collection of tracks taken from volume one remixed by Cork based musicians and producers Duncan Lutz and Denis Clifford, who operate under the moniker [Subrelic].
Alan says: “I wanted my music torn apart in order to create something totally different from the originals with sensitivity and wildness. That’s exactly what [SubRelic] produced, and I was blown away!!! They have given my music a new purpose, a new direction and a new world. It excites me and that’s what _repurposed_ means to me.”
Drawing on Irish folk tales of the Selkie, O’Connor’s music video ‘The Consequences Of Breaking The Heart’, is based on a script written by award-winning Irish screenwriter Paul Cahill.
The story is about Muirín and Tadhg, a young artistic couple living and working by the Irish coast. Tadhg’s world is torn apart when Muirín suddenly disappears in the ocean. In his grief, his search for answers leads him to a stunning discovery.
It’s a story about love, and the consequences of the sudden loss of it. What can we do with our lives when we lose somebody without explanation? It’s also a tale about music and joy, and the importance of art in getting us through difficult times.
Director Shaun O’Connor says: “Paul and I had initially planned the story as a short film. But when I heard Alan’s (ADT’s) album, which is so influenced by the ocean and the coast, I immediately thought of how well-suited the story would be to one of the songs.
Even the title, ‘The Consequences of Breaking the Heart’, spoke so clearly to the tone and feel of the story. Paul and I went back to the script and restructured it to work in images only, and fit the lyrics of Alan’s song.
Initially we had planned to shoot the music video last year, but COVID put it on the back burner for a while. As the restrictions lifted in the last few months it’s been such a joy to finally get back out into the world and make new work. The story’s theme of art being a sustenance in difficult times also felt even more pertinent after COVID.”
This is Shaun’s second time working with producer Sinéad Barry and Director of Photography Jass Foley, after collaborating on a short film ‘A White Horse’ in 2019, which won numerous awards including ‘Best Irish Short Film’ at the Oscar-qualifying Foyle Film Festival in Derry, and put them on the longlist for an Academy Award the following year.
“The Consequences of Breaking the Heart” was shot in stunning locations in West Cork including Lough Ine and Inchydoney Beach. The lead roles are played by Elaine O Dwyer (Arracht) and Barry McKiernan (Valhalla / The Bright Side) and Claire Loy (In Orbit / Crosshair) plays their friend Liz.
