Our focus in film is on forgotten aspects of social history, uncovering marginal yet often seminal stories through an artistic, social and Irish lens. Trouble or Fortune films/records is where myself, Charlie O'Brien's, music and film projects are to be found. I have worked in documentaries as a director, producer, editor and composer. My first foray into the world of film was as narrator and presenter of the Irish T.V. documentary, "Saol John Riley" (2010). This Mexican/Irish, music infused, history documentary told the story of John Riley, leader of the ill-fated St. Patrick Battalion of the Mexican Army of 1847. My first work as director and producer came with the release of "A Captain Unafraid," a documentary feature film based on the life of sea captain "Dynamite" Johnny O' Brien. A Captain Unafraid premiered at an E.U. run European Film Festival in Havana in June 2017 and played at many's the festival afterwards, from Santiago to New York and Calcutta to Kerry. This was the birth of "Trouble or Fortune Films" which morphs into "Trouble or Fortune Records" for my adventures in sound. The soundtrack to A Captain Unafraid (released in the first months of 2017) was composed by myself and William Kemp. As well as music for film, I write songs. The documentaries A Captain Unafraid and Saol John Riley both found their beginnings in song-"Pa' los Del San Patricio" appeared on my debut album "Songs from an Outpost" (2007), "Marine Mambí, Johnny Dynamite" is on my latest musical endeavour "Hy Brasil, Songs Of The Irish In Latin America" (December, 2019).
As a musician I've released three studio albums and two film soundtracks. In 2018 I directed and filmed "The Green Fields of Cuba," an exploration of Irish music in Cuba, produced by John McAuliff of "The Fund for Reconciliation and Development" and commissioned by "The Atlantic Philanthropies." In late 2020 I directed and produced the short period film "Macalla Chill Áirne" in my native Killarney, Ireland-recreating the Victorian era tour of the district's lakes. This was my first foray into fiction film.