“I’ve seen no better film about the social value of art. It’s both moving and motivating” - Brian Eno
The film centres around the music of Irish singer songwriter Damien Dempsey but also turns the lens onto his fans. Every Christmas in Dublin, the crowds gather for Damo’s Christmas gig at Vicar Street. For many, these shows have become a cathartic ritual, a safe space where emotions can be laid bare. Through the prism of the concert, we meet Dempsey and three members of the audience. We hear their stories, unravel their grief and find the light in the darkness through communal art.
With themes of addiction, loss but also hope and positivity, Dempsey’s music often reflects his fans' pain, alleviates their anguish and ultimately provides peace as they ‘sing all their cares away’.
Part documentary, part concert film, Love Yourself Today is an emotive celebration of modern spirituality and the power of music to heal.
Speaking on the film Damien Dempsey said: “It’s a wonderful movie about the healing power of music; how it can help heal trauma, lift us and help us through hard times. Singing and music are two of the few spiritual entities in the physical world, so we need to harness them and get people immersed in them, because when people lose themselves at a gig, when everyone sings together, they carry a vibration away from the gig that spreads out like a ripple into others, it’s a way of healing."
Director Ross Killeen added: “Pre-Covid, we filmed in Vicar Street and captured the energy and spirituality in the room. It was special, with Damo the conduit on stage. The first job of the film was to capture what happens in the room authentically. The second job was to go deep with our three characters Nadia, Jonathan and Packy as they opened up about things that have happened to them in their lives.
I’m immensely proud of this film and hope it does justice to the incredible power of Damo’s music and what he stands for but also the honesty, bravery and integrity of our cast. I can’t begin to describe the journey of making this film but I’m really excited by the idea of people watching it together in a cinema soon.”
LOVE YOURSELF TODAY is a Motherland Production in association with Thirty Nine films. It is produced by Ross Killeen and Louise Byrne with Ross McDonnell and Rory Gilmartin serving as Exec Producers with backing from Screen Ireland. Edited by IFTA award winning Mick Mahon. Shot by Narayan Van Maele with an original soundtrack composed by John Reynolds and Damien Dempsey.
Hot Press*****"A powerful call for empathy and understanding"
Sunday Independent****"A unique portrait about human resilience"
"This film is beautiful... a joy and an inspiration" - Christy Moore
Founder and Creative Director of production company, Motherland. Ross Killeen is a master of multitasking, meticulous planning and creativity. His dynamic background in directing, editing and producing renders him a versatile director with a distinct capacity to see a clear cut vision of a film from start to finish, from all production perspectives. He has an innate ability to capture the essence of a person and unearth stories that aren't always obvious, which is evident in all of his work, in particular his award winning short film, Becoming Men which launched
his company Motherland as well as the award winning short documentary, 99 Problems which was official selection at Tribeca, DIFF and Sheffield DocFest. Love Yourself Today is Ross' debut feature documentary.
Director Statement
Damien Dempsey has been a cult hero in the Irish music scene for almost twenty years with fans both at home and amongst the huge diaspora overseas. I had listened to his recorded music but any fan I spoke to told me to go see him live; it wasn't until I went to see him play in Vicar Street that I fully understood what he was all about. My wife was pregnant with our second child and we went to one of his Christmas shows a few years back. We are seasoned gig goers but this was something special. We were seated watching the show but spent most of the concert watching the fans as they sang every word back to Damo. They cried their eyes out along the way but were brought back to levels of unbridled joy by the end. I had been to many concerts down the years but had never seen a crowd so enraptured by the music and so willing (and encouraged) to let go of their emotions. It felt spiritual and cathartic and Damo was the shamanic figure on the stage conducting the ritual. I decided there and then to investigate the potential for a documentary which captures what goes on in the room but also tells the stories behind the fans to understand the healing they receive from the music. When I approached Damo with the concept he told me that we needed to "make a film that would help people". I've kept that in the back of my head throughout this process and I hope that the film we have made can indeed help people to process these feelings of whatever trauma they carry and give them hope for a brighter future. Thanks for listening. Ross.
Commentaires