Jimmy Brennan

Grim tale of marginalized souls in an apocalyptic Dublin inner city. Jimmy takes up residence in a derelict and once elegant house in a no-go inner area. He is soon joined by other squatters, George a business man trying to retain some dignity, Ronnie a drug dealer, Tom a paranoiac, Orwell a Jamaican pimp and his prostitute Mary

Mixing classroom dramatization with documentary material, interviews with former students who recall barbaric punishments in the name of learning, and a 1932 newsreel of a triumphant Catholic congress in Dublin, this piece poses a challenging and controversial exploration of the Christian Brothers' education system in the 50s.

Based on the writings of David Chapman and Jimmy Brennan, Withdrawal is about Jimmy, a heroin user in a Dublin psychiatric hospital. His thoughts and observations dominate, his subjective voice-over speculating on the lives of his companions. Jimmy leaves the hospital, returning to the city to reconcile with his loved ones, but his withdrawal leads ultimately to a dead end.