SONG OF GRANITE revolves around the life of the great traditional Irish singer, Joe Heaney. The harsh landscape combined with the myths, fables and songs of his Connemara childhood helped shape this complex and fascinating character. Enigmatic and complex, Heaney’s devotion to his art came at a huge personal cost.
Joe Heaney was born just outside of Carna in 1919. From an early age, he was fascinated by the stories and music around him, ‘drinking (them) from the bottle when (he) was in the cradle”. By the time of his death in Seattle in May 1984, he was widely recognized as one of the most important figures in Irish traditional music, having won fans and admirers from every part of the globe and most particularly from the folk music scene in the United States. Joe’s life was also remarkably complex, challenging traditions with his way of life.
Utilizing documentary evidence, recreations and more abstract scenes that attempt to reveal the inner workings of Heaney’s psyche, Pat Collins has shaped a cinematic exploration of Heaney’s life and his music, tracing his strange, tragic and often inspiring journey from rural Connemara through Glasgow and eventually to New York City – but not always in that order.
