"Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, only then you will find that money cannot be eaten."- Adapted from the American Indian saying and used by the students from Colaiste Phadraig, Lucan, Co Dublin, in their film Anna Livia, The River Liffey.
"We began with a brainstorming session," explains Lucan student Daragh Walsh. "It emerged that many of us knew people who used the river."
Brian Slacke takes up the story: "We decided on an outline storyline and then spent ages on the phone setting up interviews." "We collected footage of the river and the wildlife before moving on to the interviews," adds David Byrne. "The school had recently purchased a new Sony Hi-8 camera and we all learned how to use it."
The students filmed the river from its source in the Wicklow mountains to its mouth at Poolbeg Lighthouse, including Turlough Hill, Islandbridge and the Intel plant. "When filming the Liffey Salmon Fisheries group we met a crew from Sky TV. They were making a documentary about salmon catches," remarks Ian Carroll.
According to Brian, "our toughest assignment was the Leixlip sewage treatment plant. It's a good job cameras are not smell sensitive!"
"We had about three hours of film and that had to be edited down to the required 10 minutes," explains teacher Patsy Toland. "That involved a lot of decison-making. "Because we feel there are so many important issues about the demands being made on the Liffey which are relevant to people in the Lucan area, we are also making a 30minute version. "We hope to invite local politicians, community groups and others to a showing of this version in the near future."
