INTERVIEW: ALEX FEGAN

An interview with Irish director Alex Fegan about his documentary "The Irish Pub".


1. What was the motivation to make a film/documentary about Irish pubs?

The aim was to hold a mirror up to an institution and see what happens. It wasn’t necessarily to put forward an argument but to allow the audience to derive what they will from what is reflected in the mirror. I only interviewed the owners of third generation pubs that were unique to Ireland. The aim was also to use the pub as a vehicle to tell a more general story about Ireland and her people. So many aspects of Irish culture relate to or can be found in the pub whether it is our music, characters, people, history, sport, politics, religion and the Irish sense of humour. 



2. When did you know it could be a feature film?

I probably knew for sure after I had filmed about my sixth pub. There was a consistency to the footage and to the pub owners that was very encouraging. The first cut of the film was about three hours long so I knew that there was enough footage. However, the hardest but most fun part was sorting the wheat from chaff. There were so many good stories that I had to cut out, which was a pity, but it was also exciting to see the film come together. Essentially the film is a medley of jigsaw pieces that hopefully form together to give an experience of the unfussy yet captivating magic of an Irish pub.

3. How did you start the production process (did you pitch the project to a company,
did you get funding, did friends help etc.)?

There was no budget for this film. It was just a case of filming a few pubs whenever I had time at weekends because I still had my day job. There were some weeks when I would film two pubs and then not film a pub for a week and then the week after that I might film another and so on. As soon as the film was finished, I put a trailer online. A distribution company saw that by chance, contacted me the following day and said they would like to see the whole thing. After they saw the finished product, they said that they would like to put it into cinemas, which I wasn’t expecting at all. This enabled me to apply for completion funding from the Irish Film Board to pay for the colour grade, deliverables and sound edit. 

4. What pub (owner) surprised you the most and why?

Perhaps Smyth’s pub in Newtown in Co. Carlow. This pub was extremely isolated from any town. Yet it was by far the biggest pub I filmed. It was an old cabaret piano bar from the 1970s, complete with a grand piano on a stage, red wallpaper and rows of red leather chairs with a layer of dust on them. The owner, Michael Smyth (84 years of age), was an absolute gentleman, who used to play the piano to hundreds of customers many years before drink-driving laws stopped people from frequenting these country pubs. He sat down at the piano and played the most beautiful piece just for me and I caught it on camera. He since passed away just before the premiere of the film so I was particularly glad to have experienced that.



5. What was the production like? How difficult was it to earn the people’s trust? Was it difficult at all?

Not difficult at all. These pub owners talk for a living and perhaps understand people more than anyone. They were all extremely natural on camera, which was amazing. Perhaps I was lucky, but it genuinely didn’t take much effort to get them talking.

6. How long was the shooting period? Funny or curious stories of the making are welcome, too ☺

It took a year to make the film from start to finish but, as I said, it was extremely stop/start in its schedule. Like anyone who has done a lengthy pub tour, you cannot emerge without having a few stories. In John B. Keane’s pub in Listowel, Co. Kerry, I began by filming the owner and ended up staying till the early hours filming almost every customer singing a song. It was a priceless. 

7. Any pub you knew before or visit more often after shooting the film?

Absolutely, an alternative question might be which ones I didn’t know before. In fact, one of my inspirations for making the film was a quote from Martin Scorsese to make films about what you know. A pub that I visit a lot now is the Hole in the Wall. It’s a great pub next to the Phoenix Park and is also my local.



8. Is there anything the documentary taught you?

Perhaps the most important thing is when to stay quiet during an interview. I think the best results of the film are between the questions when the pub owners are silent and waiting for the next question. I kind of realised this by accident after filming my fourth or fifth pub. You can capture a real honesty in those moments. Currently, I’m learning how to market and sell a completed documentary, which is an art in and of itself. Another important lesson is that, if you cannot raise the money to make a film, it is possible to make a film almost completely by yourself and get it into cinemas on a general release.

9. What is/are your next project/s?

Next up, I am working on a TV comedy series about a third generation Italian chipper owner in North Dublin. It will star Simon Delaney (The Delivery Man).

10. Anything else you would like to add?

No, I think that pretty much covers everything. Thank you for taking the time to chat!!!

Thanks very much for the interview! Go raibh maith agat.

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