MAX MCDONNELL
2025
But What Was She Wearing? is a documentary produced during my final year at university as part of a collaborative group project. The film engages with themes surrounding victim-blaming and the harmful narratives that often accompany discussions of sexual assault, using documentary storytelling to challenge the question implied in its title and to encourage critical reflection on the ways responsibility is misdirected in public discourse.
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Within the production, I played a central role in shaping the visual and editorial direction of the film. I was actively involved in the camerawork and cinematography, contributing to the visual language and overall tone of the documentary. In addition, I independently undertook the full editing process, assembling the footage, structuring the narrative, and refining the pacing to ensure that the film communicated its message with clarity and sensitivity.
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Through this work, I helped transform a collaborative concept into a cohesive and impactful final piece, using both visual composition and careful editing to support the documentary’s subject matter and emotional resonance. I am incredibly proud of my work in this project.
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The documentary was screened in the Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast in May of 2025.
2026
'Let The Young Ones Dance' is an independently produced documentary project that I developed in collaboration with a small collective of creatives, exploring the ephemeral and rapidly evolving club scene in Ireland. The film examines the cultural significance of these nightlife spaces and the communities that form around them, capturing a moment in time within a scene that is often transient and under-documented.
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Within the production, I took on several key post-production responsibilities, including editing, score development, and colour grading, helping to shape the film’s visual and sonic identity. Through this work, I contributed to crafting the documentary’s atmosphere and narrative rhythm, ensuring that the energy and texture of the club environment were effectively translated to the screen.
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Following its completion, Let The Young Ones Dance received recognition across a range of magazines and cultural publications, including FourFour Magazine, Nialler9, District Magazine, GCN, and The Goo, which featured the project and highlighted its perspective on Ireland’s contemporary nightlife culture. To this day it is some of my proudest visual work and I am proud to share it with the world.
MAX MCDONNELL