Born That Way: A documentary about an unsung Irish hero comes to Navan

An award winning documentary film that reflects on the life and work of Patrick Lydon, who steered the development of the Camphill Movement in Ireland for four decades, is being screened at the Solstice Arts Centre, Navan on Monday 8th December.

The film, directed and co-produced by Galway based film maker Éamon Little, won the Dublin Film Critics Circle Award for Best Irish Documentary at Dublin International Film Festival 2025.

The film has been screening daily for two weeks in succession at the IFI and is set to open at the Arc Cinemas in Ennis and Cork on Friday 5th December and at the Queens Film Theatre in Belfast on Friday 12th December.

Éamon tells the story after having over a decade long friendship with Lydon, saying that, shortly after Patrick was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, he "started immediately on a series of interviews with Patrick, covering many themes."

He said: "Over the next five months I learned more about him than I had in the previous thirteen years, and our friendship deepened greatly.

As his illness progressed and he gave us intimate access to his illness, I was privileged to witness the great grace with which he accepted the care and support of his family and their enormous community of friends, and to witness his tireless warrior spirit, still planning and scheming for a better future right to the very end.

As things transpired, my first and last encounters with Patrick were both recorded. The opening scene of the film was the very first footage I shot with him."

Born That Way is out now and tickets to the Solstice Arts Centre screening can be purchased online here.

To view the Born That Way website, click here.