A Turning Tide in the Life of Man

This documentary explores the impact of EU-level environmental management policies on a small, Irish-speaking fishing community on the island of Inis Bó Finne off the northwest coast of Donegal. We follow an eight-year journey of fisherman John O’Brien, his fellow islanders, and a committed group of marine experts as they campaign on behalf of the European islands to maintain their fishing practice and their unique way of life. Loic Jourdain follows this campaign and also explores the challenges facing minority language groups and the rupture of traditional livelihoods in coastal Ireland and further afield in the EU. Here is an affectionate portrait of a remote island community swathed in the stark beauty of the northern coast and a compelling David and Goliath tale of a small fisherman battling against the politico-economic strictures of his own country and those of the European Union.