Don Patricio 
Belfast Film Festival and QFT present a special screening and Q&A.
Don Patricio follows three ordinary football fans around the world – Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Spain, Mexico – as they try to resurrect a fallen and forgotten Irish football hero.
Patrick O’Connell (in Spain revered as ‘Don Patricio’) was captain of Ireland (still undivided) and Manchester United a hundred years ago. He was manager winner of la Liga and known as ‘the man who saved FC Barcelona’ from Franco, before returning home alone and poor, buried in an unmarked grave.
The three football fans start out with the modest aim of giving ‘Don Patricio’ a proper headstone, getting dozens of world footballers to sign shirts to auction off – Pele, Cruyff, Maldini, Suarez, Beckham, Niall Quinn and Roy Keane.
But so huge is the support that they soon can sponsor a painting of O’Connell for the boardroom of FC Barcelona, and a bronze bust of O’Connell which they present in front of 35,000 people in the Betis stadium in Seville; plaques are being put up on the houses where O’Connell lived in Dublin and Belfast.
The film follows in their and Don Patricio’s footsteps as they meet present and former football stars, managers, historians and politicians, from Martin O’Neill to Gerry Adams – to promote the resurrection of the fallen football hero.
Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Please note: the running time of the film is 2 hrs 20 mins.
Age 18+
