Mary Robinson is a remarkable figure who has left an indelible mark on the world stage. As the first female president of Ireland, she has served as the UN High Commissioner, the Chair of the Elders, an activist for justice and civil rights, and a passionate advocate for climate action. Her dedication to making the world a better place has earned her the admiration of people around the globe. Filmmaker Aoife Kelleher thoroughly examines Robinson’s life and career in her brilliant new documentary, Mrs Robinson. We had the opportunity to speak with Kelleher to learn more about the film.
The documentary took a long time to come together. Can you tell us how it played out?
It is hardly surprising that several people have decided to make a film about Mary Robinson’s life and career, her achievements, and her battles. I spoke with Cormac Hargaden of Loosehorse Productions, and he said he would pitch an idea for the documentary to Mary Robinson. I really wanted to be part of that team. We came up with a pitch but were up against several companies.
What got us over the line was that we wanted to make a warts-and-all documentary. We wanted to take an unvarnished look at every aspect of her life, and that really appealed to her. She is very open and reflective, so when we pitched this discerning approach that would look at her life from the beginning and include her challenges and controversies, it suited who she is as a person.
The film combines archive footage, interviews with contributors, and, most importantly, interviews with Mrs. Robinson. How did you approach the interview process?
We did the interviews over several days during 2020. It was the pandemic, so it was enjoyable for everyone, including Mary Robinson, to feel normal and be out in the world. It was a chance to take stock. The interviews were intense. We covered every aspect of Mary’s life and her career. It felt like a back-to-school moment for me. I went into Chapter Bookstore and bought every biography of Mary Robinson, including her autobiography. Then, I had to digest all of the material and remember the key moments and nuances of the geopolitical movements she was involved in. I went into the interviews with facts and figures and as much political understanding as possible because Mary’s memory is extraordinary. She is very clued in, engaged, and informed, so those are interviews where you want to be at your best.
We went through everything from her childhood, her experiences in Ballina, and her formative years with her grandfather, a lawyer who had a significant effect on Mary’s life. After that, we moved on to her time at Harvard and her early work as a lawyer. It was a really interesting few days, and then we were shut down, as expected, during a pandemic. We weren’t fully funded at that point, so the idea was to have the interviews as part of the development and then try to make the rest of the film. It was two years before we were fully up and running.
You have used extensive archive footage, including footage from Mrs Robison’s childhood to her time at college in Dublin and Harvard, as well as footage from her work as a lawyer, president, UN worker, and climate activist. How did you manage to trawl through so much?
You can never have enough archive material, and going through it was wonderful. We have this beautiful family archive that has never been seen before and is newly digitised. It was wonderful to see and use that because, as much as we know Mary Robinson, we don’t often see her private life. It is brilliant to see her having fun with Nick [her husband], playing with her children, and seeing her life before she became a public figure. The archive is really beautiful on a cinematic level. Going through it felt like a treasure trove. Anyone who’s interested in history and politics will be fascinated by the political archive. Mary has had a big life on so many levels. She’s been so influential in Irish law and Irish politics and on the global stage, whether it’s with the UN or her fight for climate justice. There was a lot to go through, but fortunately for myself and the team, it was really interesting.
Mrs Robinson travelled to war zones and witnessed the aftermath of genocide during her time with the UN. You show footage of what she saw in Rwanda but do it sensitively and not gratuitously. It is important that we see it, but how do you find the balance so that it doesn’t become voyeuristic?
You are always aware that this was a genocide. You don’t want to skirt over the horrific reality of what happened. In recent months, we have seen the reality of what mass killing looks like and the impact that it has. It is important to convey what that looks like while being respectful. You tell the story and facilitate Mary talking about what she saw and the reality of it. You show her in these horrific places as she travelled through the aftermath, and you hope you are careful and in the most ethical way. Paul Mullen, who edited the Rwanda footage, must be credited. He is very sensitive to all the potential ethical issues.
You have several interviewees, including Mary’s husband, Nick Robinson, and their son Aubrey. Were they eager to come on board?
I was delighted that we managed to convince Nick to do an interview; for much of her political career, he was the silent, supportive spouse walking several steps behind. It was great to get his perspective on his role in her career, their lives together and the impact on family life. Aubrey was a reluctant contributor, but hearing his memories of the presidential campaign and his reflections on Hello magazine shooting photos for a story on Mary was great.
In addition to historical archives, you have more recent footage, such as Mrs. Robinson at the COP Climate conference, meeting President Zelensky in Kyiv, and trips to Washington. Were you able to travel with her to any of these events?
We didn’t have funding in place to go to COP, but our producer was there to film something else and was able to get footage for us to use in the documentary. I was able to go to Washington. We went to New York with her to the UN General Assembly, and we went to Rwanda, where Mary met the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame. We got to film their first moments together and then were politely asked to leave. It’s amazing to see her at work and her presence in action on the global stage.
There is a clip from COP where we see Mrs Robinson getting upset about climate inaction, and it’s not the only time she shows her emotions. It is striking because we rarely see leaders getting emotional, but she isn’t afraid to let the world see how deeply she is moved, and you aren’t afraid to let us see that side of her.
I think it’s interesting how emotion can often be stigmatised in a political context. I remember one time during the interview when Mary became emotional, describing her time with the nationalist community in West Belfast. It’s admirable when politicians connect with the moment’s emotion and significance. Why do we want our representatives to be soulless automatons? Surely, we want people to connect with the reality and significance of their decisions.
Do you have any memories of Mrs Robinson being elected president?
I was eight, and I remember that moment and that feeling that the perception of politics and our society was changing irrevocably. It was a watershed moment when everything suddenly seemed possible, whether it was for women, the LGBTQ community, or communities throughout Ireland that had been excluded from political and public life for so long in a society that seemed so homogenous up to that point.
I noticed in the credits that the documentary was made with sustainability in mind. Was that always the intention, or was it in deference to Mrs Robinson’s work?
The film industry broadly has a new sense that sustainability is important. It’s definitely a tribute to Mary, but it’s also a product of the time we’re living in now and the increasing awareness across the film industry in Ireland of the importance of sustainability.
What would you like audiences to take away from the documentary?
I think familiarity with a figure can often make us overlook the significance of what is achieved by them in their lifetime or what has been achieved over the course of their lifetime. When we are seeing a surge of the right globally, it is time to reflect on how much progress has been made in our society, how precious it is, and how we don’t want to lose that progress. There’s so much to take in from the film about feminism, women’s rights, reproductive rights, and inclusivity in Irish society and politics. It is time to take stock of what we as a nation have achieved over the past decades and how important and precious that is.
Words – Cara O’Doherty
MRS ROBINSON is at cinemas from August 23rd