| Pursuit | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Mercier |
| Written by | Paul Mercier |
| Produced by | Anne Gately |
| Starring | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
Pursuit is a 2015 Irish crime thriller film written and directed by Paul Mercier. The film stars Ruth Bradley, Barry Ward, Liam Cunningham and Brendan Gleeson among an ensemble cast of Irish actors. [1]
Pursuit is a modern-day gangland retelling of the ancient Irish legend of The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne. Gráinne is daughter of a major crime boss and is promised in marriage Fionn, one of his lieutenants, to help cement an alliance. However, she's in love with Fionn's bodyguard Diarmuid, and her actions set off a wild chase across the country.
Pursuit premiered at the 28th annual Galway Film Fleadh on July 10, 2015. [2] It was screened for Irish President Michael D. Higgins on September 9, 2015. It went on general release in IMC Cinemas across Ireland on September 18, 2015. [3]
Pursuit received its network premiere on TV3 on March 20, 2016. [4]
Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the Fianna bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer and poet. He is said to have a magic thumb that bestows him with great wisdom. He is often depicted hunting with his hounds Bran and Sceólang, and fighting with his spear and sword. The tales of Fionn and his fiann form the Fianna Cycle or Fenian Cycle, much of it narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Oisín.
Cormac mac Airt, also known as Cormac ua Cuinn or Cormac Ulfada, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He is probably the most famous of the ancient High Kings, and may have been an authentic historical figure, although many legends have attached themselves to him, and his reign is variously dated as early as the 2nd century and as late as the 4th. He is said to have ruled from Tara, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, for forty years, and under his rule, Tara flourished. He is credited for building many of the monuments at the Hill of Tara such as the Banqueting Hall, Cormac's house, and Gráinne's Enclosure, named after his daughter. He was famous for his wise, true, and generous judgments. In the Annals of Clonmacnoise, translated in 1627, he is described as:
"absolutely the best king that ever reigned in Ireland before himself...wise learned, valiant and mild, not given causelessly to be bloody as many of his ancestors were, he reigned majestically and magnificently".
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, also known as Diarmuid of the Love Spot, is a hero and demigod in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, traditionally thought to be set in the 2nd to 4th century. He is the son of Donn, son of Duibhne of the Fianna, and Cochrann, daughter of Cathaír Mór. Diarmuid becomes the foster son and protégé of Aengus Óg, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the god of love, to the extent that a god of love can be said to exist in the corpus. He grows up to be a skilled warrior and a well-liked, valued member of the Fianna who on one occasion saves Fionn and his band by single-handedly slaying over three thousand enemies in battle.
The Fenian Cycle, Fianna Cycle or Finn Cycle is a body of early Irish literature focusing on the exploits of the mythical hero Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warrior band the Fianna. Sometimes called the Ossianic Cycle after its narrator Oisín, it is one of the four groupings of Irish mythology along with the Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle, and the Kings' Cycles. Timewise, the Fenian cycle is the third, between the Ulster and Kings' cycles. The cycle also contains stories about other famous Fianna members, including Diarmuid, Caílte, Oisín's son Oscar, and Fionn's rival Goll mac Morna.
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor and director. He has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, two British Independent Film Awards and three IFTA Awards, along with nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was listed at number 18 on The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors. He is the father of actors Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson.
Gráinne Seoige is an Irish journalist, news anchor and documentary and entertainment television presenter. A noted Irish language supporter, Seoige is the only television personality to have worked with all four Irish terrestrial television stations—TG4, TV3, RTÉ One and RTÉ2—and to have read the inaugural news bulletins on three separate channels—TG4, TV3, and Sky News Ireland.
The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne is an Irish prose narrative surviving in many variants. A tale from the Fianna Cycle of Irish mythology, it concerns a love triangle between the great warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill, the beautiful princess Gráinne, and her paramour Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. Surviving texts are all in Modern Irish and the earliest dates to the 16th century, but some elements of the material date as far back as the 10th century.
Domhnall Gleeson is an Irish actor and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Brendan Gleeson, with whom he has appeared in a number of films and theatre projects. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts from Dublin Institute of Technology.
The Guard is a 2011 Irish buddy cop comedy film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham.
Grabbers is a 2012 monster horror comedy film directed by Jon Wright and written by Kevin Lehane. A co-production of Ireland and the United Kingdom, the film stars Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, Bronagh Gallagher and Russell Tovey among an ensemble cast of Irish actors.
John Michael McDonagh is a screenwriter and film director with Irish and British nationality. He wrote and directed The Guard (2011) and Calvary (2014), both films starring Brendan Gleeson, receiving a BAFTA Award nomination for the former. He was born in London in 1967. He is the older brother of playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh.
Good Vibrations is a 2013 comedy-drama film written by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson and directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn. It stars Richard Dormer, Jodie Whittaker, Adrian Dunbar, Liam Cunningham, Karl Johnson and Dylan Moran. It is based on the life of Terri Hooley, a record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast's punk rock scene. The film was produced by Chris Martin, with Andrew Eaton, Bruno Charlesworth and David Holmes. Holmes also co-wrote the soundtrack score.
Barry Ward is an Irish actor. He began his career as a child actor in the RTÉ/BBC series Family (1994) and Plotlands (1997), and the film Sunburn (1999). His films since include Jimmy's Hall, Blood Cells, Extra Ordinary (2019), and Dating Amber (2020), the latter of which won him an IFTA.
The Galway Film Fleadh is an international film festival founded in 1989 as part of the Galway Arts Festival. Describing itself as Ireland’s leading film festival, the event is held every July in Galway city in Ireland.
Paul Mercier is an Irish playwright screenwriter, film and theatre director. Born in Dublin and living in An Cheathrú Rua he was the founder member and Artistic Director of the Passion Machine Theatre Company, and is a Director with Anne Gately of the film production company An Pointe Productions. His work is known for its gritty poetic realism and examination of ordinary, contemporary Irish life.
The 13th IFTA Film & Drama Awards took place at the Mansion House on 9 April 2016 in Dublin, honouring Irish film and television released in 2015. Deirdre O'Kane hosted the film awards ceremony.
The 15th Irish Film & Television Academy Awards took place at the Mansion House on 15 February 2018 in Dublin, honoured Irish film and television drama released in 2017. Deirdre O'Kane host the film awards ceremony.
The 16th Irish Film & Television Academy Awards took place on 18 October 2020. Because no ceremony was held in 2019, this ceremony honoured films and television drama released in both 2018 and 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no physical ceremony took place; instead, there was a "virtual ceremony" hosted by Deirdre O’Kane.
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