DÚIRT TÚ (you said) is the story of a break-up and a breakdown in communication.
Two former partners are divided by distance. One wishes to reconnect, the other refuses to answer the call. Structured in the style of a fever dream, the film explores ideas around reconciliation and coercion, love and control.
Note from One Two One Two:
One Two One Two are excited to launch our first film project. We started the company with the intention of making art across multiple forms so DÚIRT TÚ (you said) is part of that vision.
We wanted to bring together the communities of Project Arts Centre and Cape Clear, off the coast of West Cork. We believe the future for us is depending on the creation of connection-in our personal lives, and in public life. All our work to date has investigated the effects of loss of connection, how this can infect people from an early age and create generations of dysfunction.
DÚIRT TÚ started as an exploration of what happens when people break up. Communication can become a weapon. The man is alone in the city. The woman is in his head. She is there in the form of the music all along, but he is not listening. The film brings together the music of One Two One Two with the writing of Shaun Dunne.
We worked together from the start of the project, buzzing off each-others rhythms, making choices on speed, energy and tone together. We believe that music, text and dance are equal in their story telling capacity. We want to be bold, we want to make art that inspires people, and we want to express ourselves in the Irish language. Please enjoy this film from our gut to yours.
Zoe and Maud. xxx
Note from Shaun Dunne:
For Future Forecast, we wanted to create something that spoke to the now without being absolutely routed in the present moment. Over the past few months of lockdown, all of our lives have massively shifted. But in many ways, much of our day to day remains the same.
For many of us, that’s created a dizzying sense of normality, a dream-like present moment, where we’re the same but different. Searching towards where we hope the future might be, confused but totally ordinary. New and normal.
Dúirt Tú is ultimately the story of a breakup. In creating this film, we were interested in the themes of coercion and control, acceptance and accountability. Stylistically, we wanted to position speed amongst the mundane to create the impression of a feverish dream.
One of the first sentences that came to mind when we were riffing off Project’s brief was; In the future, I will speak only in the present tense. Although that exact sentence didn’t make the film, its essence is there.
In our short story, Junior is trying to stay present and in the moment. He’s desperately trying to course correct and reclaim a space he doesn’t hold any longer with his former partner. When he speaks, his language blurs between Irish and English, with the syntax and grammar often off in both.
In doing this, we were interested in creating something that felt guttural and immediate, intrusive and unwielding. The Irish language is often considered to be unreachable in how dense and poetic it is. We wanted to create a piece where its presence was blunt and coarse, jutting out off the edges of our imagery.
We shot this film close to where we live and the energy of the area quickly became a leading texture and influence. Around Talbot Street, people were back on their routine and going about their business again. Or trying to at least. The world was returning. But not everything is a simple as riding a bike…
This film was made collaboratively with a brilliant ensemble of artists. I am so grateful for their time and generosity in what was an extremely uncertain time. I would also like to thank the various partners who enabled us to achieve our vision with this film.
DÚIRT TÚ (you said) was live and available to preview for 12 hours, on the 11th August, from 11:11am - Midnight.
Watch the Trailer below.
For queries about DÚIRT TÚ please contact: zoe@onetwoonetwo.live
Twitter: @OneTwoOneTwo_ @Seanielove
Instagram: @OneTwoOneTwoNow @Shaundunnagram