My Left Foot 4

N I suppose because it’s the best Irish film. It still has an
impact because it’s a story about human endeavour, of
triumph. It’s a story of Christy not alone beating the
physical difficulties but where he came from - working
class, thirteen children – there were actually 17
children – and going on to write books and poetry. Just
surviving in life as normally as he possibly could. At that
time they put these kids into homes. The absolute caring
that the family, in particular his mother, but also his
brothers and sisters gave him, its astonishing. People
relate to that. Not only here, but all over the world. 
fii
Students who see the film today, though they mightn’t be
familiar with the story, they like the character. Why did you
choose to get involved with him?
N I tried to make that film twenty years before, though I
knew nothing about films. I made it because he was a
terrific guy and I knew him really well. I just made it for
him, for myself and everyone else but we never dreamt
it was going to do anything like it did. Such a small
story from such a small section of a small city.
fii
Did any of his family members see the film?
N They were all in it, never mind see it! A lot of them were
extras and saw it several times. They loved it. 
fii
How important was the film for Irish cinema?
N It changed the whole thing. After that we could make
films about ourselves. It destroyed all the perceptions of
Hollywood that we were making ‘oirish’ fillums. And it
brought an enormous amount of work as other
companies came and made films. 
fii
What about the difficulties in raising the finance?
N Everybody thought I should be locked up. A lot of them