It’s a busy week at Lifeblood HQ! You go ages without having any film out and then two come along at once. So we’re going to be taking over RTE for the next few Thursday nights.

Hot on the heels of the TV premier of our acclaimed feature documentary ‘The Breaking Wave - the Buddhists of Beara’ , the world premier of ‘Listen to the Land Speak’ - directed by Maurice O’Brien - takes place on Saturday 12th July at the Galway Film Fleadh.

The film is based on the book by celebrated writer Manchán Magan who takes us on a journey to find the true soul of Ireland, to reveal the profound knowledge and wisdom contained in our landscape and myths.

The film unfolds from Winter Solstice to Bealtaine through Reek Sunday to Samhain, exploring how the stories and myths associated with the rivers, mountains and lands around us are crucial to unlocking aspects of how we need to rebuild our relationship with nature today.

But it also becomes an unexpectedly personal story as Manchán realises that there is a serious illness within himself that makes him see these ancient sites and beliefs in a whole new light.

The film was produced by Zlata Filpovic and Exec produced by Cepa Giblin for Crossing the Line Films, and Aifric Ní Chianáin for RTE.

Myself, Zlata and Crossing the Line previously collaborated on the series ‘Epic West’ with Tommy Tiernan travelling around the west of Ireland. It was such a pleasure and an honour to work with them again - as well as being some of my favourite people they also happen to be the best in the business at what they do.

And working with Manchán himself was both a pleasure and an education. He mentioned at the beginning of the project how he wanted his work to in some way help to heal - our relationship with nature, with our language, with ourselves….and working on this series was the source of some much needed healing for me.

We can’t wait to present this special feature length film at the Galway Film Fleadh.

The two-part series version of LISTEN TO THE LAND SPEAK will begin TX for RTE on Thursday 17th July at 10.10pm and will also be available on the RTE Player. Stay tuned for news of further exciting festival screenings.

Thanks to our funders RTE and Coimisiún na Meán and our wonderful crew - especially editor Jamie Fitz, composer Michael Fleming and DOP Michael O’Donovan.