Synopsis
A dramatized documentary about the tough life of fishermen on the Aran Islands, located opposite Galway off the west coast of Ireland. Legendary documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty and his crew stayed on these three islands for almost two years in the early 1930s to shoot Man of Aran, which was praised for its exquisite camerawork. Using special lenses, Flaherty stood on the cliffs and captured the perilous maneuvers of the small fishing boats navigating the massive waves off the coast. The sound was added afterwards, and the fishermen's shouts, which get lost in the howling wind, work as an added sound effect. As he did in Nanook of the North, Flaherty manipulated life for his film. For example, the islanders had not hunted basking sharks for decades, but the director asked them to recommence, resulting in one of the most impressive long sequences in the film.