Apart from the Oscars, the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival is the most prestigious award in the world of film. Previous recipients include such greats of cinema as Federico Fellini, Martin Scorsese and Akira Kurosawa.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Ken Loach's historical drama set against the backdrop of the War of Independence and the Civil War, is the first film set in Ireland to receive this honour, which is a recognition both of Loach's status in the first rank of international directors, and a notable success for Ireland's film industry. The film, which will be released here on June 23rd, is sure to provoke some controversy in its depiction of a period in our history which is still the subject of contentious debate. That is as it should be. Cinema should provoke and stimulate as well as entertain.
Given the film's subject matter, it is ironic that the Palme d'Or has given rise to some dispute over its national origins, with the UK media acclaiming it as a British achievement, while it has been welcomed here as an Irish triumph. In reality, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (which is officially a British/Irish/French co-production) is typical of the multi-national nature of film production, with its British writing-directing team, Irish cast and story, and financing from several different countries (including a substantial investment from the Irish Film Board and through Irish tax incentives). This success offers a welcome publicity platform for the local industry in attracting the international investment required for the high-risk business of film-making.
The film industry here has suffered several false starts since the initial flowering which followed the Oscar successes of Jim Sheridan and Neil Jordan in the early 1990s. Few Irish-produced films have succeeded in breaking through to international audiences, and Ireland has found it increasingly difficult to compete as a location with lower-cost countries in central and eastern Europe. In addition, many other governments now offer attractive financial incentives to film producers. In the face of these competitive pressures, Minister for Arts John O'Donoghue has shown a commendable commitment to strengthening the indigenous industry, with a significant enhancement this year in Section 481 tax incentives. In addition, the Film Board received an 18.5 per cent increase in its allocation for 2006, to just over €17 million. Of themselves, incentives and subsidies do not ensure that great films will be made, but without them we would never have the chance to see our own experiences and stories reflected through this most powerful of media. In the context of an increasingly globalised and homogenised entertainment industry, this is an investment well worth making.