Forever Is Now by Jennie Kermode
The political landscape of the Western world is currently simmering with a profound disillusionment, a feeling amplified by social media platforms where the profit motive often supersedes democratic ideals. This environment creates a unique set of perverse outcomes, turning public discourse into a relentless cycle of attack and deflection.
It is relatively easy to shrug off the abuse and character attacks leveled by the press and the public if one is operating with a purely self-serving agenda, engaging in politics primarily to make a tidy profit. However, the people who are truly affected by this toxic atmosphere—those who are potentially driven out or deeply stung by the fallout—are often the ones who care the most.
This tension is brilliantly explored in Neasa Ní Chianáin’s documentary, which chronicles the final eighteen months of political life for former Irish Greens leader Eamon Ryan. The film places him squarely between two powerful and opposing forces.
On one side, there are those who simply want the status quo to remain undisturbed, and they use the narrative of change to blame him for seeking any kind of alteration. On the other side are those who are deeply angry, frustrated by the slow pace of necessary change, feeling that the evolution they demand is not happening fast enough.
Ryan’s journey, as documented, is a vivid illustration of this conflict: a leader caught in the crossfire of history, trying to navigate a world that seems intent on punishing anyone who seeks real movement. The documentary captures the complex reality of leadership when the pursuit of genuine change collides head-on with the demands of political expediency and public impatience.
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