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Project Detail

The Enigma of Frank Ryan

Synopsis

A sympathetic but searching portrait of Frank Ryan (1902-1944) IRA activist in Ireland, International Brigade Volunteer in Spain and Nazi collaborator in Berlin. Ryan enters a Faustian pact with a Nazi regime he believes will assist in forging a united Ireland. His collaboration is justified by the republican motto: "My enemy's enemy is my friend". But the former radical and internationalist pays a heavy price for this pact. The film raises important questions about collaboration between the IRA and the Nazis in World War II. It opens up a long suppressed debate about Irish neutrality in that war. Drawing upon Ryan’s correspondence and using a rich mix of period archive combined with live action - with a striking portrayal of Frank Ryan by Dara Devaney - the film makers tell a story of tragic proportions and probe the enigma that was Frank Ryan.
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Details

Year
2012
Type of project
Features
Running time
90 mins
Format
HD
Director
Desmond Bell 1st Feature
Producer
Desmond Bell
Editor
Nigel Galt
Screenwriter
Desmond Bell/ Peadar Cox
Director of Photography
Sam Mitchell
Production Designer
Richard Hudson
Sound
Sara Lima/ Rob Walker
Composer
Deirdre McKay
Principal cast
Frank Ryan, Dara Devaney, Helmut Clissman, Wilf Varville, Rosamund Jacob, Mia Gallagher, Hans Hartman, Barry Barnes, Sean Russell, Frankie McCafferty

Genre

Northern Irish Drama

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Glass Machine Productions

26 Seacliff Road
Bangor
Co Down
BT205EY
Northern Ireland

Sales Company

Network Ireland Television

23 South Frederick Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
Tel: + 353 1 6797309
Fax: + 353 1 6708493

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