Papal Cross

God Given Opportunity

God Given Opportunity is a short film by Anne Marie Kelly, made in response to her experience at the Stand 4 Truth demonstration which coincided with Pope Francis’ mass in the Phoenix Park. 

Kelly, who is also a singer, artist and psychotherapist explained how she was “enraged by the way some commentators described as ‘negative’, those who were seeking atonement and reparation for the vile abuse they had suffered” . She channelled her anger into the film in the hope that it will prompt viewers to think about what child abuse really is, the evil that drives it and how the silence of the bystander enables it.

The film is an allegorical take on the corruption of an ideal and using a fable-like lens, bringing the viewer back to the early message of the Church – love. It stars Jamie McClean (Patrick Freyne’s The Cured, Ma short film) and Dmitry Vinokurov ( ITV’s Intruders , Stuart Drennan’s short United and Herself ). The short film was written and directed by Anne Marie Kelly and produced by Kelly and Enda Brady. Cinematography and editing was by Ciarán O’Donnell with music supervision and sound design by John Kelleher. A number of tracks in the film are performed by Kelly herself.

Kelly previously won Best Actor at the Disappear Here Film Festival  in 2018 for her performance in her own short film Ma which tells the harrowing tale of a Mother whose son has killed another man. It also stars Jamie McClean and  has showcased at many other festivals including Still Voices, Brief Encounters (WFT’s showcase Women in Film at IFI, Dublin), The Female Eye, Kerry International Film Festival, Toronto Irish International Film Festival, Fastnet Film Festival, Iffy Film Festival and Louth Film Festival

Also in 2018 Kelly released ‘Virgin Mother Whore…Woman’, an exhibition held in Filmbase in Dublin. This piece  was a culmination of many years of work on songs around the disconnect between the representations of females in the media and the reality of life as a woman.  Detailed and layered, the presentation was in song, video, still image, and 3d representation with contribution art pieces from artist Enda Brady. 

God Given Opportunity had an online screening at the  Disappear Here Film Festival last year and recently screened at the Underground Cinema. Due to the restrictions on any public events for the foreseeable, Kelly was eager to get her film out there for everyone to see. The film has been released online and can be viewed here .

I am asking people to give time to watch this film and share it on. These are strange times for filmmakers. I believe there is more creative challenge in short unfinanced film – it is someone’s soul work without the pressure of having to please financial backers – there’s no limits, apart from the limit of distribution.  To keep imagination alive and moving, we need to pass on eachother’s work, like a co-operative chain for art

Writer/Director Anne-Marie Kelly