Tomás Farrelly
Euro-Children is a short documentary that I was Cinematographer on. It explores the Euro-Children Holiday Scheme in Northern Ireland from 1978-1999; a charity which allowed children a chance to escape the sectarian violence by staying with a family in Europe for the Summer. 40 years later, we found some of these former participants and took them back to to see their host families. This documentary explores refuge, belonging, and coming to terms with generational trauma.
As Cinematographer for Daragh O'Shea's 'Tales of Railway's Past' I was looking to inject the dynamism of the landscape into the stillness of the cinematography. Through a uniquely stylized format, this documentary offered a unique challenge, by allowing the geography to tell it's own story.
Being the Camera Co-ordinator for Nicole Crowley's 'Indecent Exposure' was an exciting opportunity, experimenting with the format of Multi-cam Dramady. We created an offsetting tone in a familiar genre, resulting in a film unique in it's execution.
Understanding camera technology through an economic lens, measuring the potential for economic output. The technology of the camera is measured in 4 main categories image quality produced, image format, price and most importantly form factor. These technological advancements are chronicled in a historiography and examined as milestones, where important changes in the medium of documentary practice are understood. The research conducted in cataloguing these milestones are mostly through literature review of academic articles, technical documents, historical books and other historical texts. Then these changes in documentary practice are analysed under the lens of Grierson’s definition of documentary as “the creative treatment of actuality”.
Tomás Farrelly is a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker from North Dublin. His work focuses on distinctive and often overlooked subjects, with an emphasis on thoughtful, observational storytelling. He values the camera’s ability to engage distinctly with reality when used with creativity and intention.
