The late Charlie Bird's last story and first film make a fine coda to a remarkable life and career in Ransom '79.
Here, an outlandish but true chapter from Irish history is revealed - "a ransom demand on the Government that's been kept secret for more than 40 years".
If this was the script for a thriller, chances are it would be dismissed as too far-fetched. And yet...
In August 1979, the Department of Agriculture received a typed letter threatening that Foot and Mouth Disease would be let loose in Ireland unless a ransom of £5 million was paid. Contact was to be made via the personal columns of The Irish Times. Over the next eight months, a cat-and-mouse 'game' played out on the back pages. All these years later, you're hooked the minute you hear about it, just like Charlie Bird.
Although living with his terminal diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease, the former RTÉ Chief News Correspondent had already pitched the story to Colin Murphy, a writer he had previously worked with on the marriage equality theatre production A Day in May. Murphy was also in from the get-go, and he and Bird make for a class on-screen team here as they lay out events, chase down leads, and listen to long-kept secrets. "It's keeping me alive and focused," says Bird in one of the many touching moments. Ransom '79 combines the ravages of his illness with his relentless pursuit of a story very well and never feels lopsided.
It does, however, feel too short. With the conversations so engaging and the backdrop so fascinating, Colm Quinn's film could easily have kept audiences in their seats for another 30 minutes. It would also have benefitted from more background information on the interviewees - something that could be rectified when Ransom '79 is eventually shown on Virgin Media Television, which backed the documentary.
In the meantime, if you're in the mood for something domestic and different on the big screen, this is one to see.
