35 days until we roll our cameras

My best wishes to you one and all,

Friends, family, investors - we are only 35 days away from finally rolling the cameras on Aonrú and for me it can't come quick enough. As most of you will know I have spent nearly 2 years working on this project and to be so close now is fantastic. As we reach 14 June I have become even more excited and confident of the production and feel like we are creating something truly unique, heartfelt and interesting. All elements of the film are now in place and ready to go. Lets make something beautiful.

To everyone who has helped in bringing Aonrú to life - thank you. Not least the people/community of Cape Clear who have been so generous with their time. Its your faith in the project that has kept me going and I am eternally grateful for everything you have done for me. It'll never be forgotten.

For anyone interested in keeping up to date on Cape Clear Island news and developments you can visit this link -

http://www.cailinoir.com/Media

Recent news includes; storm damage funding, Conor Ó Drisceoil's departure from the fishing industry (the last full time fisherman on the island) and an article on Chuck Kruger (local author, poet and photographer).

Additionally, the Cape Clear Island Facebook will keep you up to scratch on a weekly basis and can be found here -

http://tinyurl.com/k453d4h

The next few weeks of the production will be focused on planning, scheduling and organising so ensure we are prepared for the week-long shoot.

Until that time comes I would love to hear from all of you - with questions, queries, requests - you name it. So please do get in touch at any time via the Facebook page, our e-mail (lostproductionsltd@gmail.com) or on 087 984 3757.

Warmest regards,

Jason Gaffney

Aonrú - Producer 

More gratitude, Conor O'Driscoll, Dominic de Vere and Love

Good afternoon one and all,

First and foremost let’s discuss the Fundit campaign which only has 15 days left. And what a journey it’s been – 91% from our target and we are looking very good indeed. To all the people that have contributed – you know who you are and no doubt you have heard from me offering my eternal gratitude. As long as you are aware of your importance to this film that’s all I need to know. One more thank you…? Ah go then…Thanks!

Our good friend Conor O’Driscoll has been in the press a lot recently discussing his story of being the last full time fisherman on Cape Clear Island. We wish all the very best with your future endeavours Conor and look forward to speaking with you further in April/May when we roll those cameras! For anyone interested in learning more about Conor’s amazing story here is a link to a recent interview on C103:

https://soundcloud.com/jpc103ie/the-last-full-time-fisherman

Very well spoken Conor. Good man.

I was down in the Cork Archives 24 February and was kindly looked after by Éamon Lankford who has done an invaluable job at retaining Corks history and that of its people and culture. It truly was an honour to spend time in the Archives and to see the evolution of Cork and the island. To think, and see, that Cape Clear has such a rich fishing history which in 2014 is extinct goes far beyond belief and I feel the government in this country has a lot to answer for in destroying the lives and development of islanders throughout Ireland. That is a discussion for another day so to keep things positive – thank you Éamon for all your help. We will be seeing you again soon.

As promised – I thought I would like to briefly discuss our director for Aonrú. Dominic de Vere lives in London, UK and has been a friend of mine since 2011. Dom is an exceptionally talented filmmaker who has been working in the film industry for many years following his education in Cambridge. Dom’s current project has been Bastard Gumwood – a feature length commissioned documentary about a journey to one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands - Saint Helena in the South Atlantic - to record the efforts to save the world’s rarest tree, the Bastard Gumwood. This is due for release in 2014. Dom’s work on Bastard Gumwood is a fantastic platform for our work on Aonrú as he has full-time experience of shooting on an isolated island, dealing with equipment on rough terrain, shooting on sea and capturing the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Dominic has also worked on War & Peace (2013) for 18 months while in October 2013 he produced collaboration between painter Joanna Jones and musician Peter Shepard Skaerved performed live in London. For anyone interested in learning more about Dom’s work here are some links to his work:

-          Overview of current film work through Dover Arts Development

http://www.dadonline.eu/content/dominic-de-vere

-          Watermark

http://www.dadonline.eu/node/5

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96081FBDB8255075

-          Watermark Awards

http://www.dadonline.eu/content/film-about-paper-mill-wins-award

-          War & Peace

http://www.dadonline.eu/node/394

Right well that about wraps it up for this week. As promised – the shoot date is coming very soon…I PROMISE!!! We are just waiting for confirmation from crew. We will keep everyone fully up to date and look forward to your comments, feedback, contact in the meantime.

From me – much love,

Jason

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...I hope...

Good evening everyone,

I hope you are keeping well and enjoying the weekend so far.
Thank God for all the recent sunshine...the last time I 'Blogged' we were in the midst of a storm. How quickly things change aye...

Firstly our Fundit Campaign is up to 79% which is a great achievement so far. Not only has the generosity been incredible but also the level of support and faith people are showing from the nations-capital to Cape Clear Island. Long may it continue and hopefully it won't be long until we are promoting our shoot date! Fingers crossed.

This week I will be visiting the Cork Archives, thanks to the help of Éamon Lankford. This visit is critical in establishing all facts, dates and figures related to the complete history of Cape Clears fishing industry and is something I am very much looking forward to! As soon as I complete my visit I will be Blogging with some interesting updates and information. Thanks again to Éamon Lankford for making this visit possible!

There was some great news last week for Cape Clear and its residents when the government announced nearly €70 million worth of funding for storm repair. Mr Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, claims that more will be needed to truly clean up the mess the storms made throughout December, January and February. Lets hope this relief is provided and people can begin to get their lives back on track!

Finally, if everyone can please continue to share, like, tweet, favourite, mail, text etc. information about Aonrú that would be amazing. We are so very close to our target and we need as much support as possible to ensure we get there! You people really are beautiful...

If anyone has any questions regarding production, the project etc. please feel free to get in touch at any stage. I would love to hear from you!

Take care and warmest regards,

Oh......and much love

Jason

Quick update and the poetry of Chuck Kruger

Good morning to everyone out there, I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and are all set'n'ready for the week ahead. This weekend saw a dramatic rise in our Fundit Campaign. We are 55% of the way there thanks to a host of very generous contributions! There is still some way to go but what an incredible start to the project - we are certainly well on course for our target and therefore one step closer to rolling the cameras on Cape Clear Island and Aonrú.

This week we will be sampling the poetry of Chuck Kruger - author, photographer and poet currently residing on Cape Clear Island. Chuck was born in 1938 and grew up in Finger Lakes of upstate New York. In protest to the Vietnam war Chuck and his wife, Nell, moved to Switzerland in 1966 where he worked as a teacher of world literature at an international school. Together they purchased a farm on Cape Clear Island in 1986 where they moved permanently in 1992. Chuck is a true Caper if ever there was one! You can learn more about Chuck and his incredible life at these links:

http://www.chuckkruger.net/

(RTE Radio One - Documentary)

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/documentary-podcast-chuck-nell-kruger-cape-clear-island-international-storytelling-festival.html

Chuck has been kind enough to share his poetry with us this week and his beautiful words will bring you closer to the island so sit back, relax and enjoy...

Moonlight Dance

waning moon appears,

disappears,

washes bare silhouetted hills

with light as if uncast,

as if from within

the hills the source

and that’s how you touch me –

with your hands, your thoughts,

as you appear,

disappear, dance;

and I know no more will moon

withdraw her touch

than you your light

from my hills and valleys

Another weekend, another storm but at least we have our health...

What a beautiful picture of Fastnet Lighthouse at low tide...wow. I thought this would be a nice image to get people in the mood for the weekend. If you are looking for inspiration - look no further...

We are edging ever closer to our shoot in April 2014 and the production continues to flow nicely. We have a brilliant team in place including Dominic de Vere (Director) - a fantastic and unique filmmaker from London, UK. Dominic studied film in Cambridge and has developed a body of work since that has put him in-demand. We are lucky to have him on board and for anyone interested in checking out his recent work, here is a link:

http://www.dadonline.eu/content/dominic-de-vere

We are 8 days into our Fundit campaign and the donations have been very generous. Thank you so much one and all for your generosity! We are still on schedule for an April shoot but require your continued support to ensure Aonrú happens! Please keep sharing, liking, tweeting, re-tweeting etc. so we can keep the ball rolling.

To everyone on Cape Clear - keep safe this weekend. We hear its going to be another nasty weekend down West : (

We will be back over the weekend with a few updates, photos and historical information regarding the island and look forward to hearing from as many people as possible. Much love

http://fundit.ie/project/aonr---short-documentary

Twitter: @AonruShortDoc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aonr%C3%BA-Lost-Productions/438894852905598

Stay safe residents of Cape Clear Island!

Firstly - to everyone on Cape Clear Island - I hope you are indoors and safe during this storm. Our thoughts are with you! Secondly - to everyone who has contributed to our film so far - thank you so much. However we still have a LONG way to go to reach our target so if you can share the below link, tell your friends, family, colleagues etc. I would be eternally grateful! Additionally if you would like to be a part of Aonrú all contributions are welcome...plus we have some nice rewards for your efforts...

In the meantime stay safe from the weather and feel safe in the knowledge that tomorrow marks the halfway point of the week...that means weekend plans are upon us once more...

Much love

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aonr%C3%BA-Lost-Productions/438894852905598

Twitter: @aonrushortdoc

http://fundit.ie/project/aonr---short-documentary

Thank you t our funders and enjoy your Sunday evening

A big thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to Aonrú - Lost Productions. You people are beautiful. With your generous donations we are edging closer to shooting an important documentary we can all be proud of. For anyone who is curious, here is the link:

http://fundit.ie/project/aonr---short-documentary

Everyone make sure to enjoy the rest of their Sunday!!!...sure it'll be the weekend again before we know it - fret not! Much love