The Tribe of Gods

Tory Island off the North West Coast of Donegal is the most remote of all Ireland’s inhabited islands and yet boasts a rich cultural heritage of story and song, faith and folklore. Life here is not easy – as the inhabitants survive harsh weather, work hard to make a living and suffer the indifference of successive Dublin governments to the specific needs of island life. But the people of Tory, led by their elected “King”, the elderly Patsy Dan Mag Ruaidhri (returning home after a lengthy cancer treatment), are determined to make themselves heard on the mainland. This fascinating documentary captures both the unique charms of island life and the precariousness of its future. Frenchman Loïc Jourdain’s intimate observational documentary provides an outsider’s perspective with the clarity of one who has enjoyed total immersion in a community.