Paul O'Connor
Paul O'Connor has been involved in independent film making since 1993. I picked up a camcorder to both record and support the thriving counter-culture in the UK. I am now based on Gower, Swansea, South Wales.
I went on to film direct action protests against car culture, filmed with political comedian Mark Thomas,
I smuggled hidden cameras into an Israeli prison and recorded many alternative life styles. My drive is to distribute stories rarely heard within the mainstream.
I co-founded Undercurrents in 1994 as an alternative news agency. Together we established a unique independent distribution for films produced by grassroots environmental and social justice campaigners.
My films have won awards at international film festivals. My archive images are broadcast regularly on Channel 4, ITV and BBC in various news and current affairs programmes.
I have trained human rights and environmental campaigners across the World. I co-founded the annual BeyondTV international film festival and
The Sol Cinema, a unique solar powered mobile movie theater.
You can contact me via paulo@undercurrents.org or Telephone 07973 298359
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I write for newspapers and books on video activism (the use of video for social change). You can read my article in the Guardian about my work.
Read interview with me in the New Internationalist magazine Read interview with me about our video exhibition at BFI Read interview with me on the BBC about filming protests Read interview with me in a film industry magazine |
Filming A-Z of Bushcraft
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Get in touch with Paul O'Connor
You can contact me via paulo@undercurrents.org Telephone 07973 298359 I also write a blog for Undercurrents which you can read here |
Training young people in film-making
Filming Reclaim the Streets 1997
Filming in Nepal 2001
Filming in HD
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Filmography
I have produced hundreds of films with a diverse range of topics. They include; Breaking News- (1999) documentary exploring how the police control the news agenda. Winner of best documentary British BAVA Awards 1999 If I had a Hammer (1996)- Exploring the story of how four women disarmed British war-planes sold to Indonesia using household hammers. Major Resistance (1998) – directed 2x 30minute programmes exploring dissent in Britain. Broadcast on Channel 4 1998 Alt World (2001)- directed an investigation into the arrests of journalists in Britain. Broadcast on Channel 4 2001 Globalisation and the Media (2001)- how the mass media shape public opinion. Winner of best documentary. Winner Tokyo video festival 2003 / Winner One World Canada 2002, Evolving Minds (2002)- Producer-A documentary exploring alternatives to the Mental health system Reach for the Sky (2004)- Documentary exploring links between Climate Change and Aviation. The Only Clown in the Village (2006)- how a British-Asian entertainer helped Tsunami victims.Winner best Welsh Independent Film 2006. Bike2Oz- (2008) Cycling 12,000km rather than damaging the climate by flying. Tewkesbury Medieval Fayre (2008) Reenactment societies from all over the UK converge into one field A-Z of Bushcraft (2010) An online video series about woodland skills Adventures in Welsh (2010) Swansea group promoting Welsh speaking for young people Inside Israeli prison (2011) Smuggling a camera into a prison to expose how Israel lock up internationals wishing to visit Palestine Roundwood Timber Framing (2011) A step by step guide to eco-building with Ben Law 6 sculptures in 6 weeks (2012) Following 2 artists creating in the Welsh valleys. Produced for Neath Port Talbot council Spannabis (2013) Video reports on the largest Cannabis industry event on the planet. Cannafest (2013) video reports from Prague. Community Food Growing (2014) A resource for people in South Wales Pride in our Farming families (2014) Helping farmers to diversify. Produced for Creative Rural Communities End to Coal (2016) The largest UK direct action protest to shut down an open cast coal mine Trident (2016)- Report about a month of protests to stop nuclear weapons in UK. Open Cast Coal (2016)- A video report from Germany about mass occupation of coal mine. Anti-Fracking Gathering (2016)- Manchester held the largest UK rally against Fracking Yarlswood Detention centre (2016) Mass protest in support of detained refugees |
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Filming the largest ever direct action protest in a coal mine (May 2016)
Filming woodland timber building
Filming Anti-fracking demo November 2016
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