The acclaimed Irish documentary Born That Way — winner of Best Irish Documentary at the Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards (DIFF 2025) — will screen at The Arc Cinema, Ennis, until December 11th.
The deeply moving film follows the final year in the life of Patrick Lydon, whose pioneering work in inclusion, community living, and social work has shaped Irish life for more than five decades.
Directed by Éamon Little (co-writer of the critically acclaimed film That They May Face the Rising Sun), Born That Way offers an intimate, compassionate portrait of Patrick and his wife Gladys, whose lifelong commitment to the Camphill movement transformed what it means to share life with those who are perceived as “other.” Exploring Patrick’s reflections throughout his final year, the film highlights alternative ways of living together and raises questions about care, community, and sustainability in today’s modern world.
Speaking about the development of the documentary, director Éamon Little said: “Since my brother went to live in Camphill Callan, Patrick and I had become very friendly. We started working together on a number of projects, shaping a vision for ‘Inclusive Neighbourhoods’ in short films. The idea to make a bigger film about their way of living, through his particular lens on the world, grew on me over a decade. After a fateful phone call from him in early 2021, I knew the time was now.”
The film captures Patrick Lydon’s profound belief that every human being carries “potentially unlimited possibilities,” regardless of ability, intellect, or physical capacity — a philosophy that shaped his life’s work and continues to influence communities across Ireland today.
Produced by Adrian McCarthy , with cinematography and editing by Keith Walsh (of Gort, formerly of Crusheen) and executive production from Aideen Kane, Born That Way is already being hailed as one of the most important Irish documentaries of the year — a story that resonates deeply in today’s fractured world.
The Clare screenings offer audiences a unique opportunity to experience a film that is both heartbreaking and profoundly hopeful, carrying themes of care, love and community that are urgently relevant.
Screening Details
Venue: The Arc Cinema, Ennis, Clare
Dates: 5–11 December
Tickets: https://ennis.arccinema.ie/event/105554
About the Film
In a small wooden house in County Kilkenny, Ireland, Patrick Lydon’s life is ebbing away. Throughout his final year he reflects on an extraordinary life that took him from a budding career in rock journalism in America to trailblazing in Ireland with his wife, Gladys, the development of the radically inclusive Camphill Movement, sharing life in community with people of diverse needs, abilities and backgrounds. Patrick’s story calls forth the story of Camphill itself, and articulates the impulse driving an approach to life struggling for survival in today’s consumerist climate. At a time when the world is in need of inspiration, Patrick and Gladys’ story is just the ticket.
Through family involvement with Camphill, director Éamon Little (screenwriter of That They May Face the Rising Sun) was a long-time friend of Patrick and Gladys Lydon. Given intimate access throughout Patrick’s final illness, this tender, provocative love story celebrates community spirit, disability, inclusion and otherness.
https://www.bornthatwayfilm.com/