Kevin Rockett
| Kevin Rockett | |
|---|---|
| Occupation |
Film historian Author Scholar |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education |
PhD University of Ulster, 1989 M.A. (jure officii) Trinity College, 2004 |
| Alma mater | University of Ulster |
| Period | 1980–present |
| Genre | Film history |
| Subject | Irish film |
| Notable works |
– Cinema and Ireland - The Irish Filmography - Neil Jordan: Exploring Boundaries - Irish Film Censorship |
| Notable awards | Irish Film Institute Award |
Kevin Rockett, PhD is an Irish film historian, writer and scholar, considered authoritative on the emergence and growth of scholarship on the history of Irish cinema.[1] He is currently Associate Professor in Film Studies and head of the School of Drama, Film and Music, at Trinity College, Dublin,[2] and is author, co-author, or editor of numerous books, including Cinema and Ireland (1987), The Irish Filmography (1996), Neil Jordan: Exploring Boundaries (2003) and Irish Film Censorship (2004).[3]
Background
Rockett became a member of the Irish Film Institute in 1979, and was its chairman from 1984 through 1991. He received his doctorate from the University of Ulster in 1989. He taught film studies at University College Dublin before joining the faculty at Trinity College in 2000. He was made a Fellow of the College in 2004, receiving his Master in Arts (jure officii),[3] and currently serves as head of Trinity College's school of drama, film and music.[2]
In 1995 Rockett wrote the screenplay for the film Irish Cinema: Ourselves Alone?, directed by Donald Taylor Black.[4]
Partial bibliography
- 1987, Cinema and Ireland By Kevin Rockett, Luke Gibbons, John Hill ISBN 0-7099-4216-8
- 1995, Still Irish: A Century of the Irish in Film By Kevin Rockett, Eugene Finn ISBN 1-900361-00-0
- 1996, The companion to British and Irish cinema By John Caughie, Kevin Rockett ISBN 0-304-34158-4
- 1996, Cinema companions pack By John Caughie, Kevin Rockett ISBN 0-304-70039-8
- 1996, The Irish Filmography: Fiction Films 1896–1996 By Kevin Rockett ISBN 0-913616-35-4
- 1999, Still Irish: A Century of the Irish in Film ISBN 0-7881-6145-8
- 2002, Neil Jordan By Kevin Rockett ISBN 1-86076-218-2
- 2003, Ten years after: the Irish film board 1993–2003 By Kevin Rockett, Bord Scannán na hÉireann ISBN 0-9545157-0-6
- 2003, Neil Jordan: exploring boundaries By Emer Rockett, Kevin Rockett ISBN 1-904148-28-X[5]
- 2004, Irish film censorship: a cultural journey from silent cinema to internet pornography By Kevin Rockett, Emer Rockett ISBN 1-85182-844-3
- 2004, National cinema and beyond By Kevin Rockett, John Hill ISBN 1-85182-873-7
- 2005, Film history and national cinema By W. John Hill, Kevin Rockett ISBN 1-85182-924-5
- 2007, Irish films, global cinema By Martin McLoone, Kevin Rockett ISBN 1-84682-081-2
- 2008, National cinemas and world cinema By Kevin Rockett, W. John Hill ISBN 1-84682-019-7
Recognition
The Irish Times wrote in 1996 of Rockett's earliy work Cinema and Ireland (1987), offering that it "remains the Bible of Irish film studies."[6] Filmmaker Bob Quinn wrote of Irish Filmography: Fiction Films 1896 – 1996 (1996), stating [the book is] "an extraordinary opus ... Rockett is an excellent and painstaking scholar. Never before has anybody attempted to document in one volume every film ever made in or about Ireland. ... The amount of detail he has unearthed is no less than stupendous. ... The nearest literary analogy I can think of is Dineen's Irish Dictionary",[3] Jeff Brownrigg of Australia's National Film and Sound Archive wrote that the book is "an indispensable tool for the researcher." and that it "provides a valuable source of information about a large group of international narrative feature films gathered together under the head of their general association with Ireland." He comments on the book's nearly two thousand entries and makes note of its comprehensive nature, concluding that it "is clearly an essential reference for libraries and will be sought by film buffs."[7]
Lir Mac Cárthaigh of Film Ireland wrote that Neil Jordan: exploring boundaries (2003) "provides a convenient starting-point for anyone intending to write about Jordan's work, the history of Irish film, or cinematic representations."[5]
John Kelleher, former Director of Film Classification, referred to Rockett's book Irish Film Censorship (2004) as the key text on the subject.[8] It was described as "magisterial," (Hugh Linehan, Irish Times) "monumental," (RTÉ Radio 1) "meticulous," (Luke Gibbons, Irish Times) and "fascinating" (Kim Bielenberg, Irish Independent).[3]
In 2001 Rockett received the Irish Film Institute Award for Contribution to Irish Film.[9]
References
- ↑ O'Rawe, Des (2003). "Origins and Orientations: An Interview with Kevin Rockett on Irish Film Studies". Canadian Journal of Irish Studies. 29: 57–61. doi:10.2307/25515476. JSTOR 25515476.
- 1 2 Lillington, Karlin (8 May 2009). "Merging art and technology". Irish Times. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 "School of Drama, Film and Music, Staff bio". Trinity College, Dublin. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ↑ "Kevin Rockett filmography". New York Times. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- 1 2 Cárthaigh, Lir Mac. "Rev. of Neil Jordan: Exploring Boundaries". Film Ireland. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ↑ "Living in the past?". Irish Times. 8 August 1996. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ↑ Brownrigg, Jeff. "review: The Irish filmography: fiction films 1896 – 1996". National Film and Sound Archive. Latrobe University. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
- ↑ "The director who didn't say 'cut'". Irish Times. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ↑ "2001 Irish Film Ball Honours Key Industry Figures". IFTN. 22 November 2001. Retrieved 23 December 2009.