Portia A. Buckley is a British/Irish writer and director who primarily shoots on film. Her work focuses on character-driven narratives featuring strong, marginalized female protagonists. With a background as an artist, she brings a distinctive visual aesthetic and bold, classical composition to her projects.
Born and raised in London, Buckley studied at Camberwell College of Art before earning a distinction for her Master’s degree at the prestigious Courtauld Institute, where she specialized in Photography and Film in Global Contemporary Art. In 2019, she graduated with an MFA in Writing and Directing from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.
Buckley has received sponsorship from the BFI and Kodak. In 2020, her short film “Birthday Girl” won the Best Film Shot on Film Award at HollyShorts, “Best UK Film” at the Liverpool Film Festival, and the Best Student Short Award at the Jim Sheridan International Short Film Competition. The film was also selected for official screenings at Palm Springs, LA Shorts, Dublin, Manchester, and many other festivals.
Tara Karajica speaks with Portia A. Buckley about women in film, the short form, and her latest short film, “Clodagh,” in which a lonely priest’s housekeeper encounters a young Irish girl of exceptional promise.
How did you get into filmmaking?
Portia A. Buckley: My mother was a documentary filmmaker who focused on human rights, and she worked for the BBC and Channel Four when I was younger. I’ve always been inspired by her work. After finishing school, I attended the Courtauld Institute, where I studied Art History for three years. I’ve always been fascinated by images, narratives, and storytelling. I later pursued a Master’s degree at the Courtauld in Photography and Film in Global Contemporary Art. While studying and writing academic papers, I realized I wanted to be more hands-on in creating work, rather than just analyzing it. So, I applied to film school in the U.S. and was accepted into Tisch, where I earned an MFA in Writing and Directing. The program was a five-year course, and I studied alongside thirty other students—half American, half international. We collaborated on each other’s projects, and while filmmaking is expensive, the school provided camera equipment. We traded skills and crewed for one another, learning various aspects of filmmaking, from focus pulling to boom operating, even though we were all trained as directors. This experience gave me a deep understanding of how film sets operate and taught me to respect all crew members, as we’ve all been in those various roles.
My goal going to film school was always to become a filmmaker. I graduated in 2020, just as the pandemic began. After finishing my studies, I went to Uganda to work as a focus puller for a Ugandan director. I also worked on the camera team for a film shot in Denmark. These experiences took me around the world, working on different projects, while continuing to write and try to produce our own work. I write with my partner, Michael Lindley, who is also my life partner. We have a child together, and our plan moving forward is to create material that he produces and I direct.
How did Clodagh come about?
P.A.B.: I’m half Irish—my dad is Irish—and I spent a lot of time growing up in Ireland every summer. Mike and I have made a few other short films there, and we love shooting in Ireland and writing Irish scripts. So, we knew we wanted to make something set in Ireland. One day, we came across a clip from RTE, which is essentially the Irish equivalent of the BBC, showcasing archival footage. It featured a priest’s housekeeper who was both incredibly charming and very serious. A journalist kept asking her whether she was the custodian of the priest, questioning if she was a gatekeeper. She responded firmly, saying: “Absolutely not, I’m here to help the community access the priest.” Her loyalty to him never wavered. What intrigued us was that, despite her serious demeanor, she was wearing a very uncharacteristic sparkly sequined jumper. That contrast really captivated us.
We started imagining a character who, like her, is devout and religious, but has an artistic pulse beneath the surface. With Clodagh, we wanted to create a story where passion enters this woman’s life. We’d been working on other projects with higher stakes, so we thought it would be a good challenge to create something with lower stakes. In Clodagh, the central conflict revolves around a woman telling a small lie—though, as Mr. Hickey says: “It’s just a fib.” For a woman of strong religious integrity, even a small lie feels monumental. We were intrigued by the moral dilemma and how it plays out from Mrs. Kelly’s perspective.
One of the themes of the film is that rules are meant to be broken. Can you elaborate on that?
P.A.B.: Absolutely. I think a big part of the film—and, in a way, most films—is about a character reaching a crossroads in their life. For Mrs. Kelly, breaking the rules represents a moment where something greater is at play. It’s a leap of faith, or a leap of hope, in taking on this young girl. The film touches on institutions like the Church and educational systems, highlighting how bureaucratic red tape often doesn’t matter when something just feels right. For Mrs. Kelly, the instinct to help this girl outweighs the rules. She’s haunted by the girl, driven by a sense of responsibility that ultimately forces her to confront her beliefs.
The film also plays with Irish stereotypes, but in a subtle way. Could you expand on that?
P.A.B.: Yes, absolutely. The Church is deeply embedded in Irish culture. I was raised Catholic, though I’m not practicing now. One theme we explored was Catholic guilt—a force that lingers, whether you like it or not. We loved the idea of blending Irish dancing with the Church. Clodagh’s dancing is in the old “Sean Nós” style, which is more pagan in nature. The arms are moving, the face is smiling, and there’s a freer spirit to it. When the Church took over Irish dancing, it imposed the hands-down, serious style we’re more familiar with today. The Church believed that moving the arms could invoke impure thoughts, sexualizing the dance. We liked the idea that Mrs. Kelly, as someone from a very devout religious background, would recognize this old-style dancing and see it as a challenge to her own belief system. It makes her question herself and her role as a guardian of religious tradition.
Can you talk more about the role of Irish dancing in the film and its portrayal in Cinema? It’s not often featured.
P.A.B.: Of course, there’s Michael Flatley and Riverdance, which became famous globally, but beyond that, Irish dancing isn’t something I’ve seen much of in films. It’s interesting, though, because there’s something very cinematic about it. The sound of the hard shoes especially resonates, and in a space like the gym where we shot, the echo of it becomes part of the emotional experience. The beat almost vibrates through your core. Even though the dancers have their arms down and are serious, the energy in their legs is so alive. There’s a real disconnect between the top half of their bodies and the movement in their legs. That contrast is what makes it emotionally powerful, even when their faces are expressionless.
For us, it was key to find the right dancer to bring Clodagh to life. Caitlin Rose Downey, who plays Clodagh, is a two-time World Champion and an incredible actor. She was only fourteen when we filmed, but she was a consummate professional. It was amazing to see how her dancing brought the character of Clodagh to life in a way we hadn’t fully imagined.
Do you think the film has the potential to bring Irish dancing back into the spotlight?
P.A.B.: I hope so! I believe films have the power to shift perspectives, inspire, and move people. Mike and I are working on turning Clodagh into a feature film, and if we can pull that off, I think it will really help expose Irish dancing to a wider audience. The short has already done surprisingly well at festivals—especially in the U.S. It’s screened in places like Tokyo, Australia, and throughout Europe, which gives me hope that there’s an audience for it.
Has it been received well in Ireland?
P.A.B.: We’re actually premiering it at the Cork Film Festival, which is particularly exciting for us because we shot most of the film there. It’s our local festival, and we’re thrilled that it will have its Irish debut there. It’s been well received internationally, and the response in the U.S. has been very positive, so I’m hopeful for how it will be received in Ireland as well. We’re looking forward to seeing it with an Irish audience, especially with the cast and crew there—it’s always a special experience to watch it with the people who worked on it.
Do you Irish dance yourself?
P.A.B.: I don’t, but I used to tap dance when I was younger. I have fond memories of summers in Ireland, where my Irish friends would dance for everyone during cookouts in the woods. They’d set up wooden boards, and I’d be so impressed by how skilled they were. I did take a few classes when I was a kid, but I was never particularly good at it!
What’s your view on short films in Ireland and the opportunities they offer?
P.A.B.: Short films are an excellent way for filmmakers to start because they offer a more accessible entry point in an otherwise highly competitive industry. It’s a way to experiment without the immense pressure of making a feature film. You can collaborate closely with a small, supportive team. However, shorts can also be challenging because you have such limited time to convey a story, and it requires careful, strategic planning.
In Ireland, there’s a lot of talent in the short film scene. We’ve had the pleasure of screening at festivals like Cork and Dublin, and I’m always impressed by the work coming from Irish filmmakers. I think short films are a great way for emerging filmmakers to gain recognition.
How do you see the situation of women in film today? And, how is it in Ireland or the UK?
P.A.B.: I think it’s a great time to be a woman in film. People are more responsive than ever to female voices in the industry. My own films often focus on resilient female characters, but they’re not the typical characters you might see on screen. There’s still a gender gap in terms of female filmmakers, but that’s changing. We’re moving toward a point where gender shouldn’t matter—it should just be about being a filmmaker, regardless of gender. That said, it’s a tough industry, and there will always be challenges, but I’m excited about the progress being made. There’s a growing audience for female-led stories, and it’s wonderful to see more women represented on screen.
Apart from the feature you’re developing based on Clodagh, do you have any other projects in the pipeline?
P.A.B.: Yes, we’re working on another feature about a single mom whose son gets arrested. It’s still in the early stages, but we’re excited about it.
