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IT Tralee lecturer, Bob Jackson.
A LECTURER from the IT Tralee will be hoping for success as his documentary film is in the running for an Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Award this Saturday night..
Bob Jackson, who lectures in the Creative Media department, is nominated in the Best Documentary category for the production work that he completed on ‘The Doctor’s Sword’.
The documentary, which is produced by Mr Jackson and directed by Gary Lennon, tells the story of how Aidan MacCarthy, a young doctor from Castletownbere, served in WW2 and the experiences that he had while there as a prisoner of war (POW). It also shows Mr MacCarthy’s daughter, Nicola, as she explores the origin of the samurai sword given to her father by a Japanese officer.
The documentary has been critically acclaimed by both critics and audiences and also had a run in a number of cinemas around the country, including Tralee Omiplex, last year.
Speaking to TraleeToday.ie at the Tralee premiere about the story, Bob said; “It’s a family story, but it’s a tragic story in what he endured. The story is the best story that I’ve ever heard about an individual. The things that he lived through, if you saw it in a Hollywood film, you’d think it was too far fetched. The fact though that all of it is documented and it’s all absolutely true, it’s incredible. He was the only person to survive both Dunkirk and Nagasaki, he was in a hole in a ground for both of them. It’s amazing.” (previous story here)
The IFTA awards will be presented this Saturday, April 9, at a star studded ceremony at the Mansion House, Dublin.
