29 March 2024 The Irish Film & Television Network
     
Writer/Director Katherine Canty on ‘January Hymn’, set for the BAFTA-recognised Underwire Film Festival
2016-11-15 8:00:00 :
The young Irish talent talks to IFTN about striving to get her first short film made as a new graduate, and pushing against the barriers to enter the industry with an all-female production.

‘January Hymn’ has enjoyed international festival screenings over the last number of months, with upcoming screenings closer to home at the Feminist Film Festival Dublin on Friday, November 18th and Underwire Festival in London on Saturday, December 3rd. The latter is a BAFTA-recognised festival in which the project is nominated for Best Director, Best Cinematographer and Best Editor.

The project sees Niamh Algar, who also stars in Irish talent Lorcan Finnegan’s recent ‘Without Name’, take the lead role as Clara, a young woman who returns home on the anniversary of her father’s death.

IFTN: Can you talk us through the challenges of going from script to screen?

Canty tells IFTN she began developing the script during the Summer of 2013, following her graduation from Manchester School of Art and an extended period of working as an unpaid intern in London. As one of the most expensive cities in the world, getting the time and support to produce her short film in London was her biggest challenge.

“To keep things in perspective during this time, I worked on developing the script for ‘January Hymn’, and started looking for a producer. I contacted everyone I could find in Dublin, looking for a young female producer, and my search led me to Tanja Harney, who produced the film.

I knew nothing about funding; I just wanted to make the film. We put in an application for Signatures that September. I remember putting together the application in my tiny room in North London, sitting on the edge of my single bed with my laptop on this little flimsy desk, before heading out to my waitressing job.

I never really stopped to think it wouldn't happen, I just kept refining the script, and then Tanja and I got the funding in January 2015 and jumped straight into the process. The most enjoyable parts were seeing the cast make their personal sense of the characters during rehearsals and the editing process, which is like directing the second time round for me.”

IFTN: What was your casting process?
“I had a very particular idea of what I was looking for in an actor for the role of Clara, and I knew I'd be casting based on instinct because the feeling I had of Clara was so specific and informed by personal experience. When I saw Niamh's demo reel I knew that I would cast her and was very confident in my decision.”

IFTN: What other female Irish talents do you look up to as a fellow filmmaker at present?
Although Canty nominates a list of Irish filmmakers, she settles Antonia Campbell-Hughes who currently stars in ‘My Mother and Other Strangers.’

“I thought Antonia was really interesting in ‘The Other Side of Sleep’ as she embodied a very particular stillness I felt. That is something I'm always drawn to in performance.”

IFTN: How would you like to see the issue of gender equality discussed or developed in the coming 12 months?
“It's great to see women in the industry making noise and sharing their experiences of struggling in a male dominated world and supporting each other. ‘January Hymn’ has received some wonderful support from the female filmmaking community across the globe.

I feel that 12 months is a very short time, and although women have started to push back, it's going to take a while to shift the balance, because problematic ideologies run very deep. ‘January Hymn’ is an all-female production, and I think more and more women are beginning to emphasise the importance and ability of female crew members in their productions.

It's important to keep re-examining attitudes to gender, and that's something that takes time and effort. Speaking of women supporting other women, I'd really like to thank Eibh Collins, the manager of Irish Screen LA & NY, IndieCork and Irish Film Festival London. Her support of the film has been really wonderful. People like her are fundamental in promoting the presence of women in the industry. Karla Healion, director of Feminist Film Festival Dublin has also afforded me the opportunity to share the project with an Irish audience.”





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