Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive is a free public access resource for teachers, students, historians and anyone who has an interest in moving images. Spanning from 1897 to the present day, the films in the Digital Film Archive cover all aspects of life in Northern Ireland and includes everything from dramas to documentaries, newsreels and features, animation to amateur footage.
This film is part of Free
The Quiet Land
A rare portrait of Northern Ireland in a time of conflict as “a land where the pace of life is more friendly, where everybody cares and nobody minds”.
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Overview
The Quiet Land seems an unlikely name for a place in the midst of violent conflict. In contrast to media images experience a timeless mystical and mythical vision. Travel from dawn until dusk and delight in the rhythms of nature and traditional crafts. The only hint of dispute is an architectural battle between a classical husband and gothic wife, giving birth to Castle Ward. What is left out of this beautiful film makes it as fascinating as it’s story is enchanting.
This film comes from the collection of National Museums Northern Ireland. Two government bodies, motivated by different goals, produced it. Post WWII the BTA wished to project an image of a prosperous Britain. The NI Tourist Board created films that aimed sell the region as a holiday destination to boost the economy. This material captures NI tourism at an intriguing time, as conflict escalated so did the pressure to close the Tourist Board. Resilient staff adapted creatively to the uphill struggle to find ways and places where they could responsibly encourage tourists to visit. Despite these obstacles they continued to create films during the 1970s earning the nicked name the ‘Fermanagh Tourist Board’.
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