Private Project

Idir Tonn (Between Wave)

In a personal reckoning with the amnesia of whiteness, Chicago filmmaker Tom Callahan dives into the depths of his Irish ancestry, white supremacy, Chicago's Black and Indigenous-led resistance, and the Irish language searching for clues to understanding the current state of the world and his place in it.
Revolving around excerpts from Manchán Magan’s acclaimed book Thirty-Two Words for Field and letters to his ancestors and unborn descendants, Idir Tonn follows Tom’s search to remember who he is, what gives us life, and how to act for a sustainable future.

Awaiting color and sound editing.

  • Tom Callahan
    Director
  • Tom Callahan
    Executive Producer
  • AK Miller
    Co-Producer
  • Tom Callahan
    Writer
    Lifting As They Climbed: Mapping a History of Black Women on Chicago's South Side
  • Manchán Magan
    Writer
    No Bearla
  • Nuala Ní Dhomhaill
    Writer
  • Tom Callahan
    Director of Photography
    Contributing DOP on Unapologetic, Drone Operator on America To Me, City So Real
  • AK Miller
    Original Score
  • Tom Callahan
    Editor
    Assistant Editor on Unapologetic
  • Marie Soudy
    Additional Cinematographers
  • Caullen Hudson
    Additional Cinematographers
  • Grace Pisula
    Additional Cinematographers
  • Paul Callahan
    Additional Cinematographers
  • Jane Callahan
    Additional Cinematographers
  • Tom Callahan
    Key Cast
  • Jerry Boyle
    Key Cast
  • Manchán Magan
    Key Cast
  • Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill
    Key Cast
  • Dr. Yaba Blay
    Key Cast
  • Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
    Key Cast
  • Mariame Kaba
    Key Cast
  • Vijay Prashad
    Key Cast
  • Brian Ó hAirt
    Key Cast
  • Media Burn Chicago
    Content Courtesy of
  • RTE
    Content Courtesy of
  • Sky News
    Content Courtesy of
  • Jo Kerrigan and Richard Mills
    Content Courtesy of
  • ABC 7 News Chicago
    Content Courtesy of
  • Brené Brown's Unlocking Us Podcast
    Content Courtesy of
  • Marc Lamont Hill's Coffee and Books Podcast
    Content Courtesy of
  • Ayana Young's For the Wild Podcast
    Content Courtesy of
  • Paul and Jane Callahan
    Content Courtesy of
  • Brendan Power & Brendan Power & Lucy Randall
    Music by
  • Genres:
    Poetic, interview, dramatization, mixed
  • Runtime:
    45 minutes 4 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 18, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Ireland, United Kingdom, United States
  • Language:
    English, Irish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital,
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Tom Callahan

I am based in the occupied homeland of the Council of Three Fires (Chicagoland area) who shoots, directs, and edits. I work mainly with social movements and community organizations and efforts.
It brings me great joy and fulfillment to do work that connects me to people, places, and purposes much larger than myself.
I am interested in telling stories that tell truths with the power to transform us and our societies.
I pride myself on being sensitive to the dynamics of a project because I believe sensitivity leads us towards the highest quality stories.
I hope you appreciate what you see and the people, efforts, and messages represented in these videos.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Tonn in Irish can mean both a single wave and the entire ocean. This film is about my personal and our collective search from between worlds and psyches to find vital connections to our Irish culture.

Those of us who have been assimilated into whiteness have an urgent need to understand the interconnected web embedded in the word "tonn" we are a part of. This need inspired me to gather documents from a variety of sources that have guided me to this point and pay homage to them.

I hope sharing this story and resources is affirming to the many people like me in the US and across the world and encourages them to start and continue remembering who we are, protecting what gives us life, and living up to our responsibilities to future generations.