PUCKOON

Year: 2002
UK: Guerilla Films
Cast: Sean Hughes, Elliott Gould, Richard Attenborough, John Lynch, Daragh O'Malley, Ronnie Drew, Milo O'Shea, David Kelly, Griff Rhys - Jones, B J Hogg, Joe McGann, Jane Milligan, Nickolas Grace, Freddie Jones, Richard Rickings, Marc Sinden, Frankie McCafferty, Conor Mullen, Margaret Darcy, Maureen Dow, Enda Fields, Patrick Fields, Anthony Finagan, Laverym Gerard Ban, Stuart Gibson, Clifford Hadyn-Tovey, Muriel Hobson, Jenny Howe, Terry Keely, Trudie Kelly, Kevin McCartan, Kieran McCormick, Allan McKee, Mark Mulholland, J J Murphy, Olivia Nash, Ruth Urquhart, Brenda Winter, Peter Woodward
Director: Terence Ryan
Countries: Ireland / UK / Germany
UK: 82 mins
UK Certificate: PG contains mild bad language, nudity and sex references
UK Release Date: 4 April 2003


Synopsis

In 1924, the Boundary Commission from Britain and Irish Free State decide on the New Frontier. After months of arguing a foot here and mile there, the Commission have only a short distance to finish the boundary line. Late on a Friday evening, with the pub soon to close, the Commission decide that it would be expedient if all the Commissioners held a red pencil on the map and everyone pull for the last small section of the frontier. With a great deal of pushing and shoving, Ireland is divided. Unfortunately, in their haste, they cut the village of PUCKOON in two, one half in the North, the other in the South. Within days border posts and barbed wire fences are set up.

PUCKOON is based on the best selling novel by the legendary comedy writer Spike Milligan and is a brilliant and witty satire on how people cope with changes in their lives. It is Spikes' skill as a writer and his deep humanity that has made PUCKOON a comic masterpiece. Behind the farce, the slapstick and the outrageous characters, there lies an attempt to explore the 'Irish Problem' of sectarian division.

Laced with Irish comedy at its best, the story of the fictitious village of PUCKOON is a politically true, politically incorrect and profoundly funny tale. Its theme of the absurd and illogical method of the creation of a country's borders is pure Milligan at his satirical best.

Written and directed by Terence Ryan, PUCKOON is produced by Ken Tuohy and Terence Ryan.