Dreamtime Revisited

The writings of the late poet and philosopher John Moriarty are here transformed into an impressionistic exploration of the wonder he found in the world. Interviews with members of Moriarty’s surviving family offer some context to his life but directors Julius Ziz and Dónal Ó Céilleachair keep the focus on Moriarty’s poetic works; topics roam from emigration to Celtic legends as readings from Moriarty’s texts are performed over images of a lush, gorgeously captured Irish countryside that is read as a repository of local and mythical knowledge.

These words and images are presented free from any regimented narrative, allowing viewers’ associations and impressions to be freely formed. Continuing Moriarty’s own desire to dive into a more mystic, inscrutable terrain than is commonly seen in contemporary Irish culture,_ Dreamtime Revisited_ is an enigmatic and experiential documentary that emulates Moriarty’s own connection to the worlds of Irish language, land, and culture.