Just back from watching ‘The Pipe’ at the Town Hall Theatre. It was one of the documentaries screened as part of Galway’s Cúirt Festival.
It’s the story of how a tiny community in Rossport, Co Mayo responded to the laying of a gas pipeline by Shell in the area.
The strength of the film is the fact that director Risteard Ó’Domhnaill had unlimited and intimate access to the main players of the campaign and the community in general.
There is excellent footage of unruly highly charged meetings where there are angry outbursts and large scale walkouts. The filming of violent clashes between Gardaí and protestors is up close and personal.
The standout scene of the film is reminiscent of the biblical David and Goliath tale. Local crab fisherman Pat ‘The Chief’ O’Donnell sails his humble boat in the path of the mighty ‘Solitaire’ pipelaying ship, attempting to halt the laying of the offshore pipe. He gets himself arrested.
The main theme is a sobering one: how the entire affair has bitterly divided a small tightknit community, and left wounds which will last a lifetime.
It will be difficult for the film to strike a cord with foreign audiences. Irish people who haven’t been following the story will also be challenged. The director decided to focus on simply documenting proceedings as opposed to explaining them in any great depth or offering much background. Interestingly no voiceover was used.
The Pipe is an extremely personal account of events. It offers an unashamedly one-sided view. The director is obviously moved by the plight of the people of Rossport, and feels their story needs telling. Shell is an anonymous entity in the film- the oil giant refused to cooperate with the film. Their arguments do not get an airing; neither do the views of the Irish government.
This lack of balance is offset by the convincing argument that a crusading documentary about the protestors of Rossport with outstanding footage would make for a far more engaging film than a rigid investigative one.
