This article is about the documentary. For the British Sea Power album, see Man of Aran (album).
1934 British film
Man of Aran
US DVD cover
Directed by
Robert J. Flaherty
Written by
Robert J. Flaherty
Produced by
Michael Balcon
Starring
Colman 'Tiger' King Maggie Dirrane Michael Dirrane
Cinematography
Robert J. Flaherty
Edited by
John Goldman
Music by
John D. H. Greenwood
Production company
Gainsborough Pictures
Distributed by
Gaumont British Distributors
Release dates
25 April 1934 (1934-04-25) (UK)
18 October 1934 (1934-10-18) (US)
Running time
76 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Languages
Irish English
Man of Aran is a 1934 Irish fictional documentary (ethnofiction) film shot, written and directed by Robert J. Flaherty about life on the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland. It portrays characters living in premodern conditions, documenting their daily routines such as fishing off high cliffs, farming potatoes where there is little soil, and hunting for huge basking sharks to get liver oil for lamps. Some situations are fabricated, such as one scene in which the shark fishermen are almost lost at sea in a sudden gale. Additionally, the family members shown are not actually related, having been chosen from among the islanders for their photogenic qualities.
George C. Stoney's 1978 documentary How the Myth was Made, which is included in the special features of the DVD, relates that the Aran Islanders had not hunted sharks in this way for over fifty years at the time the film was made. Man of Aran is Flaherty's recreation of culture on the edges of modern society, even though much of the primitive life depicted had been left behind by the 1930s. It is impressive, however, for its drama, for its spectacular cinematography of landscape and seascape, and for its concise editing.
The Aran Islands (/ˈærən/ ARR-ən; Irish: Oileáin Árann, pronounced [əˈlʲaːnʲ ˈaːɾˠən̪ˠ]) or The Arans (na hÁrainneacha [n̪ˠə ˈhaːɾˠən̠ʲəxə]) are a group...
Decline of British Sea Power (2003) Open Season (2005) Do You Like Rock Music? (2008) ManofAran (album) (2009) Valhalla Dancehall (2011) Machineries of Joy...
Play in 1999. The Cripple of Inishmaan is a dark comedy in which a crippled teenager schemes to attain a role in ManofAran. The play opened in 1997 at...
The Cripple of Inishmaan is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary ManofAran. The play is set...
a bibliography of works relating to the Aran Islands. O'Cillin, Tomas. Short Annals ofAran. Tuam: Archiepiscopal Library. "A Sketch of the History and...
the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of 31 km2 (12 sq mi) and a population of 820 (as of 2016), it...
Samus Aran (Japanese: サムス・アラン, Hepburn: Samusu Aran) is the protagonist of the video game series Metroid by Nintendo. She was created by the Japanese video...
Cleopatra 8 October The Return of Bulldog Drummond 12 October The Gay Divorcee 13 October Madame Du Barry 18 October ManofAran (GB) 19 October Forbidden...
soundtrack/studio album ManofAran was released on 18 May 2009 accompanying the 1934 movie of the same title. It has released titular song "ManofAran" and another...
islanders (who are actually the cast ofManofAran) are gathered around the hearth. The film begins with an excerpt of a traditional sean-nós song performed...
and Robert J. Flaherty's documentary film ManofAran address similar subjects. The often bleak tone of the book is established from its opening words:...
Little Women by George Cukor ManofAran by Robert J. Flaherty Queen Christina by Rouben Mamoulian The Private Life of Don Juan by Alexander Korda Teresa...
In the tradition of what would later be called salvage ethnography,[citation needed] the film follows the struggles of the Inuk man named Nanook and his...
to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and its leading man, Fredric March, was voted best actor. Despite the success of the first festival, it did not return in 1933...
F. W. Murnau, USA 1932: L'or des mers by Jean Epstein, France 1934: ManofAran by Robert Flaherty, UK 1945: Ala-Arriba! by Leitão de Barros, Portugal...
The "National Anthem of the Isle ofMan" (Manx: Arrane Ashoonagh Vannin, [əraːnʲ əʒuːnəx vanənʲ]) was written and composed by William Henry Gill (1839–1923)...
Schoedsack (US) 1931: Tabu by Robert Flaherty and F.W. Murnau (US) 1934: ManofAran by Robert Flaherty (US) 1942: Ala-Arriba! by Leitão de Barros (Portugal)...
several occasions due to the inclusion of a British Army recruitment film. Robert Flaherty's documentary film, ManofAran, received its Irish première at the...
including a string of Hitchcock successes, such as The 39 Steps and ManofAran; directed by Robert J. Flaherty the latter was known as 'Balcon's folly'...
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