Living in a Coded Land

I really thought I was going to hate Living In A Coded Land, Pat Collins’ new work following his acclaimed feature Silence. Having a deep suspicion of all things Oirish and a very low tolerance for what has been termed “Slow Cinema”, I expected to either be bored or infuriated. As it turns out I was enchanted by Collins’ film, a beautifully poetic work that weaves a complex and at times moving tapestry of words and images.

Now, how to describe Living In A Coded Land? Ostensibly I suppose it would be described as a documentary but it’s subject is elusive. There is a loose through line concerning the effects of Colonialism on Ireland and frequent references to emigration from our shores but this is not a film about facts and figures but rather the psychic marks such trauma has left on our literal and social landscapes. Collins uses archive footage and contemporary interviews with Irish poets and philosophers to create an intoxicating swirl of images and ideas that resonated even with a hard-nosed Jackeen like myself.

This style of storytelling has a certain bravery about it. Collins’ pace is slow yes, but also determined and graceful as he fills the screen with images of past and present in a way that feels almost painterly. Although there is much to be learned from Living In A Coded Land, he never feels the need to hammer home a point of view, instead he creates an atmosphere that speaks for itself, in this case one of frustrated melancholy at the forgotten histories of Ireland.

For many, I’m sure that Collins’ film will be a hard-sell. It may not have that certain dynamism required for Saturday night viewing but unlike the experience of watching so many summer blockbusters, it will not leave your ears ringing and your heart untouched.