DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE: We speak to the director of Bowie in Dublin documentary

Talking with a few people from the Irish music industry, including Hot Press' Stuart Clark and Irish rock journalist David Fanning, Linda's original idea for the documentary involved shooting a video about memories of Bowie on her iPhone, but this quickly spiralled and broadened as more and more stories about the legendary icon's time in Dublin emerged.

As Linda explains: "I got in contact with different bands and learnt about the two months that Bowie spent in Dublin in 1991. I also learnt more about his secret gigs at The Factory over in Ringsend. Bowie loved coming to Dublin. I think what he liked about this city was that he could go to places like The Globe and have a drink without people knowing he was there. And then if someone did recognise him he'd be comfortable enough to sit and have a drink with them or sign an album if they asked him to."

Linda's documentary reveals that Bowie left a lasting impression on more than just people in the music industry. As she recalls: "The stories I uncovered were from all walks of life. I was told about a man who met him in the Conrad Hotel as he was carrying big trays of food into the kitchen. He was approached by a guest of the hotel wearing casual tracksuit bottoms who helped him carry the trays in. It was only after five minutes that the hotel worker realised that the man helping him was David Bowie. All stories pointed towards a man who was down to earth and didn't have a huge ego.

"I made a number of interesting discoveries about Bowie based on the stories that people told me. But, as the man himself would say, I don't want to give it all away! You'll have to watch the film to find out."

Linda's simple idea spawned into a complex documentary that pieces the 'Bowie in Dublin' story together. "When it comes to Bowie's time here, there’s a lot of footage misplaced and secret gigs that people might not have heard about, so this documentary is about trying to make sense of Bowie's time in the city and what he did."

The David Bowie Festival will also feature An Evening with Enda Walsh, where people will be able to pick the brain of the man who wrote the screenplay for Lazarus, on January 5, and 'The Bowie Ball' at The Sugar Club on January 7.

Dubstar will premiere on January 9 at Whelan's. See more details here: https://www.facebook.com/dublinbowiefestival/