THE trailer for a documentary on the life of former President of Ireland Mary Robinson has been released today – which is her 80th birthday.
Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo on May 21, 1944, Mrs Robinson would go on to become a pioneering constitutional lawyer, and the first female President of Ireland.
She held that post for seven years, from 1990 to 1997, after which she was appointed the UN’s first High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders, founded by Nelson Mandela, who work for peace, justice and human rights.
In Mrs Robinson, a documentary film funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and directed by Aoife Kelleher, the former president talks candidly about her life and the struggles she faced in order to achieve equality where it was needed.
Produced by Cormac Hargaden and Trisha Canning for Loosehorse, the film is described as “a documentary telling Mary’s story, in her own words for the very first time, shining a light on battles for justice and equality over half a century on the streets, in the courts, at the ballot box, and in backroom corridors of power”.
In it a range of global leaders pay tribute to Mrs Robinson and her work over many decades, with former US President Barack Obama describing the Irish woman as “a crusader for women and those without a voice’.
Speaking of the project, Mrs Robinson claims it was “fantastic to work with director Aoife Kelleher and the entire film-making team” on the documentary, which she has dedicated to her late special adviser Bride Rosney, who was the person who persuaded her to take part in it.
“I hope it will inspire many young people, and women in particular, to reach their full potential,” Mrs Robinson added.
The film, which includes a song recorded by Bono and Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Doherty, is due to be released in cinemas across Ireland on Friday, August 23.
Today, in honour of Mrs Robinson’s birthday, Breakout Pictures released the following trailer…