Mattress Men: a new film tells the tale of Dublin's local hero Mattress Mick

Date
6 May 2016

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When the tiger economy collapsed and Ireland, like most of Europe, was left in dire straits, mattress salesman Michael Flynn decided he needed to more cleverly market his wares and put up a series of provocative signs in his shop window in Dublin. He teamed up with film maker Paul Kelly to reinvent himself as Mattress Mick and, along with his new sidekick Mattress Man, quickly became a local celebrity.

A new documentary, Mattress Men, was conceived when a group of film makers noticed the goings on at the shop near their offices. They met Michael and over the next three years followed a tale that features dancing mattresses, rap videos and CGI dinosaurs. The documentary, the first feature length film by El Zorrero Films and Faction Films, follows the highs and lows of Mattress Mick’s unlikely rise to fame and the tensions that arise between Michael and Paul.

“It’s very exciting to be able to share Paul and Mick’s story of determination in the face of adversity,” says director Colm Quinn “It has been a privilege to spend time in their presence and to see how they fought back in such a creative way against both a recession and brutal economic austerity.”

The film premiered at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto this week and will go on general release this Autumn.
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Paul Kelly poses with a cutout of Mattress Mick

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Mattress Mick during the filming of his rap video

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Paul directing Mick and Mattress Man for a video

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About the Author

Owen Pritchard

Owen joined It’s Nice That as Editor in November of 2015 leading and overseeing all editorial content across online, print and the events programme, before leaving in early 2018.

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