Filmmakers from Tyrone Ryan Coney and Andrew Kullas made their Belfast Film Festival debut six weeks ago with their feature documentary, “The Presidents Bodyguard”. I caught up with the guys to discuss their feature debut. It was clear right away that this duo are ones to watch, with their determination, focus and driven minds. I can’t wait to see what they do next!
Filmmakers Ryan Coney and Andrew Kullas
The Presidents Bodyguard is a feature documentary on the life of Mick McElkenny who served as personal Bodyguard to JFK during his visit to Ireland in 1963.
How did the collaboration come about to work together on this project?
Ryan, “I’d actually been working on the project for 3 years before Andrew came on board, just shooting on and off parts of Mick’s life and his past, I knew there was a great story in there somewhere, Andrew came along and streamlined it. We’re both from Tyrone and we grew up within 2 miles of one another without realising. The documentary is about a Tyrone man, so it just made sense to have Andrew on board, the connection felt right”
Andrew, “ Ryan had 60 percent of it shot before I came on board. For me it was about putting a structured plan in place to obtain a steady narrative. It was a challenge to fit 3 years of footage into a 78 minute feature and into a flowing narrative, we didn’t want it to be about Mick just meeting JFK, he is so much more than that, his music, his football, we wanted to show all aspects of Mick’s life, past and present”.
Andrew goes on to say, “ I loved the idea of telling a story about someone from Tyrone, most stories here (in NI) are focused in Belfast, Derry, the main cities, it was refreshing finding a story based in Tyrone”.
Why is it so important to tell the story of Mick McElkenny, why should people watch this documentary?
Ryan, “ within the first 5 minutes of meeting Mick I could tell he had a star presence about him. He is an honest, genuine and kind man. It just simply had to be told. He’s so well loved in his community, here’s a story about a man that was JFK’s Bodyguard, it’s an interesting story that I had to tell. It’s not a film that tries to make you laugh or cry, I want the audience to experience getting to know Mick in 70 odd minutes, it’s a snapshot of 80 plus years of someone who has lived an incredible life”.
Director Ryan Coney on set with Mick
What were the main challenges of producing the film?
Andrew, “well I was also editing the project but I was living in Scotland at the time, so we were communicating through phone calls, Skype and emails. I think it was hard for Ryan as he wanted to be there during the editing process, but we had to just make it work, that’s where our trust came in to place, the director needs to be able to trust the editor and have a solid relationship”
Ryan, “ I would have preferred to be there during the editing process but we had to make do. It was a low budget production, money was an issue, we had little resources, legal constraints, getting forms signed it was quite ambitious !
Did you guys draw on any other documentaries for inspiration?
Ryan, “I was very invested in Mick’s story and just allowed Mick to be Mick, comfortable in his space. I watch documentaries all the time so I may have been inspired in the different camera shots I used, I broke a few rules and stuck to a few, it was a huge learning curve for me”
Do you have a highlight or a favourite scene from the film?
Andrew, “its a scene with Eddie, where Mick sits and plays music to him. I’m a big music lover, so I enjoyed finding ways to intricate Mick’s own performances into the film, and it was just sweet to see Eddie enjoy that moment.
Ryan, “it had to be the garden party. Mick was invited to meet the Irish president Michael D. Higgins at a garden party at Aras an Uachtarain. I felt nervous for Mick meeting the president, it was a huge moment. It was the first time he had been there since meeting JFK and being his bodyguard. He told us, “it lifted” his heart to be there again. It was a lovely atmosphere, the staff were very hospitable and as a filmmaker it was a surreal moment to film”
Now, we need to talk about the Belfast Film Festival, huge congratulations! What was it like being accepted?
Ryan, “I was working at my part time job having a crap day kept checking my emails, then saw the acceptance email, I was completely over the moon when I found out ! I knew that there was a possibility of not getting in. As a filmmaker it was validation, that all effort and struggles was worth it in the end and we were going to be able to share Mick’s story.”
Ryan and Mick at the Belfast Film Festival screening
It played in the beanbag cinema in Belfast, what was the screening like?
Andrew, “it was a great night. Mick attended, people from Tyrone came to watch, long lost friends of Mick came to support him”
Ryan, “ Mick was the centre of attention, he has never had any experience with the film industry but he took it all in his stride and was very humble. It was a huge positive for Tyrone and an incredible night!”
What’s next for the film?
Ryan, “I hope this will now open doors for myself and Andrew. I want it to be a springboard for a bigger project. We’re still developing as filmmakers, we are entering the film into more festivals and hopefully get more people watching it”.
Watch this space folks!
*for more information check out the link below to a radio interview with Gerry Kelly on the film*
https://soundcloud.com/andrew-kullas/ryan-on-radio-ulster-with-gerry-kelly
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