Taking as its starting point the famous European folktale of The Musicians of Bremen, first published in Germany in 1819 by the Brothers Grimm, How I Became a Communist uses this old story to reflect on the decline of a unified left wing political movement in Europe since the suppression of the Paris Commune in 1871. The film also depicts the daily life of an elderly woman running a farm in the Irish countryside on the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. 

The necessary routine of farm life, the lives of the animals who live on the farm, and the complex history of the area all combine to tell an unusual story about animal solidarity and the desire to revolt against oppression of all kinds.

Declan Clarke was born in Dublin in 1974. He studied at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, and Chelsea College of Arts, London. He works predominately in the medium of film, but has worked frequently with other media throughout the last 15 years. His films reflect on everyday experiences and contrast these with grand narratives and explorations of the historical edifices of political power.

In 2012 Declan was shortlisted to represent Ireland at the 2013 Venice Biennale. In 2013, he co-curated Cornerhouse’s international exhibition, Anguish and Enthusiasm: What Do You Do With Your Revolution Once You’ve Got it?, with Sarah Perks, HOME’s Artistic Director of Visual Art. His film SATURN AND BEYOND (2021) was selected for FID Marseille 2021. his latest film, HOW I BECAME A COMMUNIST (2023) has been selected at the Villa Medici FF, and his latest documentary IF I FALL DON'T PICK ME UP (2024), was selected at the FID Marseille.