Black Pool

Anyone with any interest in the "troubles" that plagued Ireland in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s must see this taut thriller that shows that painful memories of the conflict are alive today in such an unlikely setting as a dank basement in Portland, Oregon. It is filmed in a soft black and white that emphasizes the bleakness of the setting but allows the undistracted camera to focus intensely on the actors. The plot was triggered off camera by what amounts to an incredible coincidence, after which the main protagonists engage in words and actions that threaten to lead to horrible consequences for both. The three actors on screen metaphorically represent Irish, Protestants, Irish Catholics and American intermediaries. The actors were allowed to do their fine work over the course of just five days in a sound studio at Portland State University. Archival footage of the conflict in Ireland in the early twentieth century help lend background. Contemporary color videos of Ireland highlighted the terrible beauty of the land. BTW, Dublin means "Black Pool" in the Irish Language.