In 1974, Brendan Halligan and film maker Jim Mulkerns, made a stark and memorable short film portraying the city of Dublin at the time – which was in a state of poverty and disrepair. In 2016, Brendan Halligan, in association with the Irish Film Archive, released a digitised version of the film, containing all the original footage filmed by Jim Mulkerns and cameraman Val Ennis, accompanied by a a new musical soundtrack by Josh Johnston. You can see the film exclusively here:
To download the full press release, please click here.
Reflections on Capital City:
“An extraordinarily evocative and yet unflinching portrait of Dublin in 1974, Capital City is bereft of sentimentality in its depiction of parts of the city that look more derelict than if they had been left in ruins in the aftermath of a war.”
– Dermot Bolger, writer and playright
“A striking film … a rejoinder to the cheerfully vapid image of the city being proffered so widely at the time.”
– Harvey O’Brien, film scholar
The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film. Manchester University Press.
“A poignant depiction of a Dublin which few would now recognise … brought about by the city authorities and governments of the day. The film is an important testimony for the need for people to speak out.”
– Peter Pearson, artist and former activitist.
