The Tryzzian Exiles

From the collection of

Launched in 2000, Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive spans from 1897 to the present day and currently contains an ever-expanding catalogue of 13,000 items. It comprises material from a variety of depositors including feature films, sport, documentaries, animation, amateur footage, light entertainment, and a significant proportion of broadcast material from the UTV Archive.

The Tryzzian Exiles

Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive
Newtownards
1972-01-01
Sound
23m

Alien outcasts run amok on planet Earth in Roy Spence's sci-fi romp, a film that draws on the lo-fi charm of Ed Wood and Roger Corman.

The story of three criminals exiled from their home planet for their heinous crimes, who end up causing havoc on earth. The plot of the Tryzzian Exiles would be echoed years later in Superman II. Shot on a somewhat more modest budget, this Roy Spence offering made great use of local landmarks, such as Carrickmannon Lake and Scrabo quarry.

Twin brothers Roy and Noel Spence have been making films like this for over fifty years; with subjects including crafty leprechauns, creatures from outer space, fifties rock 'n' rollers and the undead.Â You can enjoy many of these fantastical creations on BFI player. This film is courtesy of Roy Spence and is held in the Irish Film Archive.

Amateur Auteurs

Ever dreamed of shooting your own movie? These pre-digital cine-enthusiasts did - with all the passion and devotion of the true auteur.

These low- (or no-) budget creations reach beyond simple point-and-shoot, back-garden efforts towards something more ambitious and skilful, revealing their authors' passion for film and their often astonishing ingenuity with limited resources. No desktop editing software or digital special effects for these amateur auteurs. The films include fiction and documentary, competition prizewinners and private labours of love. They may be the work of cine-clubbers or individual enthusiasts. But they all show a devotion to filmmaking that far transcends hobbyism. So look out for the delightful handmade intertitles, table-top special effects and library soundtracks which decorate many of the quirky stories, ultra-local documentaries and painstakingly composed home movies featured here.