Dublin International Film Festival preview: Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, AKA acclaimed Irish filmmaking duo Desperate Optimists, introduce their new film The Future Tense, described as 'a poignant tale of tales, exploring the filmmakers' own experiences in aging, parenting, mental illness, along with the brutal history that lies submerged beneath Ireland’s heavy, moist earth'.
At the very beginning of our film The Future Tense you can see an image of an airport. It's the first of many images we’ve taken over the course of the five years in the making of this film.
Then these words are spoken:
"Dawn. But... a little less light. Almost... just the first trace of morning. That’ll do... we’re flying from Stansted to Dublin. It’s a journey we’ve done a lot over the years. And although it’s pretty routine I still find it... I don’t know... an emotional experience isn't right, but something getting on for that. And by emotional what I really mean is the fear getting on a plane engenders. The dread that this could be it. This could be the one. I mean... it could be. There’s an outside chance we could die in the next hour or so. And if that were to happen... it would be a really good idea to have - I don’t know - some profound possibly beautiful last thoughts running through my mind... rather than the usual malarkey that pervades my waking hours. And there’s the problem, my mind has turned to mush... maybe it’s too early in the morning - you know, we really should have booked a later flight - this plane could... honestly... at any moment... start to drop out of the sky. There’s virtually nothing holding us up here... and if it were to start dropping out of the sky, I’m painfully aware there’s not a meaningful thought in my head. I should have at least one, but... I don’t - only fragments."
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Listen: Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy talk to RTÉ Arena
So begins a story that is full of anxious moments about the journey ahead. Yes, a fear of flying but other fears too. It’s also full of memories from when we first left Ireland. Some of them irrational. Some, frankly, idiotic.
But The Future Tense is also full of questions. Questions like this: should we leave the UK and return to Ireland?
We certainly feel it should be entertained as an idea. Perhaps our daughter might disagree. Although she holds and Irish passport she was born and has grown up in London. I guess she doesn’t see things the same way. Fair enough.
The one thing we do agree upon however is this: that the UK, by which we really mean England, has become a bit of a nuthouse over the last 6 years. The growing rise of nationalism and intolerance is one of the motivating facts that have us on this flight back home after-all. Feels odd to feel forced out of a country because it has become a more hostile place. But there we have it.
As we see the coastline of Ireland approaching we’re beginning to ask ourselves: is Ireland really our home anymore? Could we really return?
The Future Tense is our personal response to this question.
The Future Tense is now screening in selected cinemas nationwide, and is available to stream via MUBI.
