Lights, camera, nostalgia! Irish filmmaker Austin Kenny is on a quest to uncover forgotten treasures for his upcoming emigration documentary.
Inspired by audio cassette tapes he stumbled upon in his parents’ attic, Austin’s new film aims to be a heart-warming look back at the joys and struggles of yesteryear.
Back in the late 1970s, when emigration meant leaving loved ones far behind, families in rural Ireland had to get creative to hear their voices again. Armed with audio cassette tapes and makeshift recording methods, they sent heartfelt messages across the seas. The result? A treasure trove of memories capturing everything from new-born giggles to lively GAA commentaries.
“The documentary is inspired by an old college film that I made, which was based on old audio cassette tapes which I had discovered in the attic. My parents had kept them from the time that they had emigrated to Australia in the late 1970s. The concept of the cassettes came from the fact that the families back in rural Ireland had no access to a nearby phone. So, the best way to hear a loved-one’s voice was to record them into the stereo speaker and post the tapes back,” Austin, a native of Dublin, said.
Austin’s earlier short documentary, Tape Me Away From Home, gave a glimpse into his own family’s journey. Now, with the backing of Midas Productions, he’s expanding the project and seeking contributions from others who possess their own time capsules of audio or video cassette tapes.
With the documentary, Kenny hopes to tug at heartstrings, evoke laughter, and maybe coax a tear or two with the tales he uncovers.
So, if you have dusty cassettes gathering memories in your attic, it’s time to dust them off and bring them to the spotlight. Share your cherished stories of days gone by and be part of a documentary that promises to capture the essence of emigration in a truly wistful way.
You can reach out to Austin Kenny on YouTube here to play a starring role in this heart-warming trip down memory lane.
Lights, camera, nostalgia! Irish filmmaker Austin Kenny is on a quest to uncover forgotten treasures for his upcoming emigration documentary.
Inspired by audio cassette tapes he stumbled upon in his parents’ attic, Austin’s new film aims to be a heart-warming look back at the joys and struggles of yesteryear.
Back in the late 1970s, when emigration meant leaving loved ones far behind, families in rural Ireland had to get creative to hear their voices again. Armed with audio cassette tapes and makeshift recording methods, they sent heartfelt messages across the seas. The result? A treasure trove of memories capturing everything from new-born giggles to lively GAA commentaries.
“The documentary is inspired by an old college film that I made, which was based on old audio cassette tapes which I had discovered in the attic. My parents had kept them from the time that they had emigrated to Australia in the late 1970s. The concept of the cassettes came from the fact that the families back in rural Ireland had no access to a nearby phone. So, the best way to hear a loved-one’s voice was to record them into the stereo speaker and post the tapes back,” Austin, a native of Dublin, said.
Austin’s earlier short documentary, Tape Me Away From Home, gave a glimpse into his own family’s journey. Now, with the backing of Midas Productions, he’s expanding the project and seeking contributions from others who possess their own time capsules of audio or video cassette tapes.
With the documentary, Kenny hopes to tug at heartstrings, evoke laughter, and maybe coax a tear or two with the tales he uncovers.
So, if you have dusty cassettes gathering memories in your attic, it’s time to dust them off and bring them to the spotlight. Share your cherished stories of days gone by and be part of a documentary that promises to capture the essence of emigration in a truly wistful way.
You can reach out to Austin Kenny at austin.kenny@rte.ie or call him on +353-87-7538031 to play a starring role in this heart-warming trip down memory lane.
Anglo&Celtic 