‘A Far Green Country,’ the debut feature film of autistic Irish filmmaker Jonathan Victory, will be released on YouTube tonight.
‘A Far Green Country’ follows Jonathan as he explores iconic film locations from Lord of the Rings and other stunning sites throughout New Zealand.
Filmed in the first month of 2020, Jonathan’s journey sees his plucky enthusiasm collide with the reality of health challenges presented by autism.
Traveling alone for the trip of a lifetime, Jonathan pushes the boundaries of his limitations to live life to the fullest.
Jonathan at Putaruru
Produced by High Function Films, this feature-length documentary was written, filmed, edited and directed by Jonathan Victory.
Jonathan reflects on the process towards making and self-releasing his first full-length film;
“I had all this footage to look back over of this snapshot in time right before the pandemic.
“I realised there were ups and downs I faced that could actually form the structure of an important story.
“As much I love Lord of the Rings and wanted to reflect on the legacy of these films ahead of their 20th anniversary, this isn’t just a travelogue for fans of those films.
“This film also explores mental health, the environment and the importance of travel in modern life.”
The composer for the film’s original music is Coolgirl, who will release the soundtrack across Spotify and streaming platforms on Friday November 12.
Coolgirl is the electronic project of Bitch Falcon lead singer Lizzie Fitzpatrick.
Lizzie explains how she approached this opportunity to achieve a long-standing ambition of composing a film soundtrack;
“When Jonathan asked me to compose some music for his documentary I was excited to get to work. I recorded these tracks in my home studio over a couple of weeks.
“It was clear Jonathan needed something atmospheric and I thought why not give it a synth feel with a nod to Irish trad? I think the upbeat feeling mixed with a mystic reverberated tin whistle gives a good sense of new adventures with the creeping homesickness that occurs during travel.”
The film will be released for free on YouTube today, Tuesday November 9, with a live premiere at 8pm
GMT. Filmmaker Jonathan Victory says this will empower the film to reach the right audience;
“I feel it’s urgent to have this film out there, demonstrating the challenges the neurodiverse can face, at a time when mental health is in the spotlight.
“I have seen this kind of storytelling do well on YouTube and I want my story to be accessible. It is my hope that neurodiverse people find their struggles represented and from there, more neurodiverse filmmakers and storytellers share their experiences.
“A general audience can also find important takeaways, while joining my travels through a stunning country that earned its place in my heart.”
The YouTube premiere will be followed by an Instagram Live interview between filmmaker Jonathan Victory and Ian Lynam of AsIAm, Ireland’s national charity for the autism community.
This Q&A will begin at 9:20pm GMT on the afargreencountrytravel Instagram.