Keepers of the Flame is a documentary about how individuals and families remember, commemorate and forget painful and difficult events of the past. It brings to light the diverse experiences of some of the 85,000 ordinary Irish men and women who made pension or dependents allowance claims for having actively served during the violent revolutionary period from Easter 1916 to the end of the Civil War in 1921.
Keepers of the Flame delves into these archives and what emerges is a truly personal retelling of a brutal and divisive period in the birth of a nation and the devastating legacy it left in its wake for the individuals who took part and their families who suffered long after the fighting ended.
Keepers of the Flame sheds light on the nation’s post war psyche – on all sides. Families and communities torn apart by ideology were left destitute, thousands coping with physical and mental trauma for which there was little support or understanding, unable to provide for their families or take care of themselves. This remarkable documentary looks at the long-term impact of a great reluctance to talk about the events of the period, the lack of desire to relive actions and decisions, and the secrecy and silence that further isolated individuals and families.
Do we have an obligation to remember? Is it better sometimes to forget? 2022 will mark the centenary of the Irish Civil War. Ireland’s President, Michael D Higgins whose father and uncle fought on opposing sides in the Civil War says “amnesia is not an option.”
Keepers of the Flame is authored by historian Diarmaid Ferriter and co-written and directed by Nuala O’Connor.
100 Word Synopsis:
Keepers of the Flame is a documentary about how individuals and families remember, commemorate and forget painful and difficult events of the past, bringing to light the diverse experiences of some of the 85,000 Irish men and women who served during the violent revolutionary period from Easter 1916 to the end of the Civil War in 1921.
Shedding light on the nation’s post war psyche, this remarkable documentary examines the long-term impact of the reluctance to talk about events of the period, the lack of desire to relive decisions, and the secrecy and silence that further isolated individuals and families.