Al Pacino with Irish President Michael D Higgins and Anna Malmhake, chair and CEO of Irish Distillers ahead of this evening's screening at the Savoy Cinema.

Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire

PRESIDENT HIGGINS has paid homage to Hollywood legend Al Pacino at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival this evening, presenting the actor and filmmaker with the Volta Festival Tribute Award.

Higgins was speaking at the screening of Al Pacino’s new Oscar Wilde-themed film, Wilde Salome. He commended Pacino’s versatility in front of and behind the camera, saying that “in terms of both quantity and quality, the Pacino portfolio is truly inspiring”.

The president spoke of Pacino’s journey towards stardom and how he had worked a variety of odd jobs to make ends meet while training as an actor.

“As we here in Ireland continue to develop our film and audiovisual production industry, and as we seek to demonstrate to the world our longstanding tradition of being a nation of storytellers,” Higgins added, “I believe that the example of perseverance and resilience in Al Pacino’s life-story should serve to inspire and encourage our highly talented practitioners here at home.”

In the below video, Pacino describes the film – and his motivation for making it – at the Venice Film Festival, saying that it’s not quite a film, but not quite a documentary either.

Pacino says he wanted to make a film that conveyed some of what Oscar Wilde went through in his lifetime, but not quite in the same way as a documentary would do that.:



(Video via mastorno)

Higgins also welcomed actor Martin Sheen to Dublin for the film festival, acknowledging that he and Pacino “have had many acting and social collaborations with each other”.

The president also spoke warmly of the late film critic Michael Dwyer whose efforts were central to the establishment of the film festival.

Here’s a trailer for Wilde Salome, starring Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain:



(Video iva BloodPrinz)

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