The short film Paddy strikes a lot of familiar notes, showing a young man in Ireland whose heart belongs to punk rock instead of the songs his mother would prefer that he’d learn on his late father’s fiddle. Yet it’s also endearing in how Patrick (Cian Hughes, Smother) discovers the nerve that he hears about in the tunes that he blares from his bedroom.
Director Roisín Kearney, who previously made the shorts Run (2019) and No Dogs (2018), and screenwriter Sinéad Collopy immerse viewers in an Ireland of decades ago. Patrick’s mom (Maeve McGrath, Brooklyn) listens to news reports of terrorist attacks during the Troubles while Patrick reads in his poster-covered bedroom. He cranks up his cassette player until it eats his tape, cutting the music short.
Femme Filmmakers Festival 2021 – Day Three
His mom sends him off to practice with his fiddle while ensuring that his younger sister (Kiri Flaherty) looks proper and tidy, her hair fixed just so. But on the way to his lessons, Patrick hears a punk rock band rehearsing in a pub and ducks inside, transfixed by their sound and attitude.
Paddy doesn’t leave much question as to whether Patrick will return to watch the band again, but he and the musicians have a charming scene involving the fiddle, fathers, cigarettes, and drumming on a tabletop. It’s enough to make Patrick’s spirit sing and set him one step closer to finding his voice.