By David Hennessy
The annual Irish Film Festival London returned 13- 17 November.
The festival is the flagship event from Irish Film and TV UK, formerly Irish Film London, and boasted a programme of feature films, documentaries, short films and Q and As with film makers.
There was also a mix of established names like The Crying Game film making great Neil Jordan and well known comedian, writer and actor Aisling Bea and more up and coming names such as Sade Malone who has been named by Screen International as a Star of Tomorrow.
While many film makers travelled over from Ireland, it was a full circle moment for some who used to live in London and were now getting to exhibit their work here.
The festival got underway on Wednesday 13 November with a screening of the Mary Robinson documentary, Mrs Robinson at VUE West End.
Director Aoife Kelleher told The Irish World on the night: “It is so exciting to be here tonight.
“It is such an honour to have Mrs. Robinson be the opening film of the festival.
“I’ve screened at the festival before.
“It’s such a local crowd.
“It really does feel like a homecoming, the reception of the London Irish community is so warm.
“It’s just a wonderful festival.
“It’s just wonderful.
“Mary was elected in 1990, I was eight years old at the time and it was a moment that really percolated down to girls my age: That sense of just big doors being thrown open and so much that had not been a possibility for girls and women, for the LGBTQ+ community, for disadvantaged communities across Ireland, there was a sense that finally, the country could be theirs as well.”
The films continued on Thursday with Belfast documentary The Flats at VUE Piccadilly.
Producer Jeremiah Cullinane said: “It’s the first time we’ve shown the film in London and just really pleased to get a lovely reaction from the audience.”
Asked if the director Alessandra Celesia being Italian gave her a unique viewpoint Jeremiah said: “I think the fact that first of all, that she’s a lady and second of all that she’s an Italian and third of all, that she’s just a little bit unusual as a person and a little bit disarming as a person opened a lot of doors for her.
“It gave her access, not only physically opening doors to people’s apartments and flats but I think doors to people’s souls that they were willing to open up and reveal themselves to her in a way that certainly I would never be able to and many people, possibly many Irish people, would not have been able to.”
This was followed by Prospect House starring Barry Ward.
Producer Anne Gately said: “It really is wonderful to be here.”
Director Paul Mercier added: “It went down really well with them.
“We had it in Germany as well and it went down there so it travels, which is unusual.
“You wouldn’t think it would because it’s so local, but it does.”
Friday the films continued with Twig, a Dublin gangland retelling of Greek tragedy, Antigone.
Sade Malone, who stars, told The Irish World: “It’s so exciting. I’ve been a massive fan of the festival for so many years, so to be here with a film like Twig is incredible.
“It’s beautiful and overwhelming to see a live reaction of something that you created so long ago, and the fact it can touch people in any way is amazing.”
Friday night concluded with the documentary, Housewife of the Year.
Director Ciarán Cassidy said: “It’s great to be here.”
The film addresses a misogyny that existed in Ireland at the time.
“There was an extremity and a fundamentalism that existed at that time. The film addresses that. But I do think for women, I think there’s still a huge amount that needs to be done by Irish society.
“And I think everybody in the team is really, really aware of this.
“This is an examination of a shift or a tilt but it wasn’t definitely any sort of solution or breakthrough.”
Saturday kicked off with the Irish cheerleading documentary, Eat/ Sleep/ Cheer/ Repeat.
Tanya Doyle told The Irish World: “It’s great to have Eat/ Sleep/ Cheer/ Repeat here at the Irish Film Festival in London.
“We’re really delighted that it’s here and it’s lovely to bring it to a slightly different audience but an audience that has a great understanding of the of the world in which this documentary takes place.
“It’s a portrait of a time in life.
“it is about being at that crossroads in life and not knowing where you’re gonna go, what you want to do, and how to pursue your dreams and your goals.
“It’s a film that I suppose a lot of different people can either see themselves in or can understand the dilemmas that the characters are experiencing in the film.”
There was then a poignant screening of Ransom ’79 which in addition to being the story of an extortion attempt is also the story of late RTE reporter Charlie Bird’s final story.
Director Colm Quinn told The Irish World: “It’s great to be here with the film.
“It was a privilege to be able to work on it.
“Charlie covered so many major stories over the course of his career.
“He was a legend.
“To be part of helping him to tell his final story was a privilege.
“It was a story that meant a lot to him.
“He was determined that he wanted to tell it and it was a privilege to be able to help him to tell it.”
“But I think the process of actually making the film when he was facing what he was facing sort of gave him a real sense of purpose and meaning.
“I think that was what drove us all on really.”
Colin Murphy, who can be seen in the film working with Charlie, said: “It’s always exciting to come to London for an artistic or cultural event.
“It’s bittersweet because we would love to have Charlie with us and I know how much of a kick he’d get out of it.”
On the poignancy and sadness of seeing Charlie, who was known to be so eloquent, unable to speak Colin said: “I think what we’re really watching is somebody survive.
“It’s kind of triumphant so in that sense, I think the film’s very upbeat.
“This is a man, who lived through his voice, literally losing his voice but finding other ways to have voice.
“It’s about somebody determined to keep doing the thing that identifies him, that he identifies by, until it’s literally wrested away from him.”
Charlie didn’t get to see the completed film but saw how it was progressing.
“About two weeks before he actually died, I went out to see him. I went out.
“I brought the laptop out to him in Wicklow to show him and his wife, Claire.
“I got a shock when I went in because it was the first time I’d seen him fully prone.
“Up to then, he’d been a bit more mobile.
“But as soon as I opened the laptop and pressed play, his face just lit up.
“At this stage. He’d given up on the voice recorder. He’d kind of given up on the notepad.
“He was very, very debilitated but he absolutely engaged with it in his head, in his eyes, and radiated joy at seeing it, and pride.”
This was followed by the boxing drama Swing Bout which was preceded by the short Our Father which was directed by Aisling Bea.
Aisling Bea told The Irish World: “We are so excited.
“This is my directorial debut.
“It’s our little baby, myself and Claire Duffy who’s absolutely incredible.
“She’s an amazing actress and writer who I’ve been lucky enough to work with for the last five years and this is our first little project together.
“It’s a story close to Claire’s heart.
“It’s an LGBTQ+ story in that it’s about someone who is religious but also is grappling with their sexuality and family, and what that means to come out and be truthful.”
On the wealth of Irish talent that can be seen at the moment Aisling said: “I think it represents a confidence, a generational confidence that understands that there’s no reason we shouldn’t be in the same spaces as people from America or Canada or France or Australia or wherever in the world.
“I think each ten years, each generation of Irish people have been getting more and more confident and professional with their work.
“In music as well, look at bands like The Fontaines DC, who are incredible and their confidence in their own roots and being Irish is incredible to see as well.”
On the strong London Irish community that she is part of Aisling added: “I love my community.
“I think the London Irish is a whole category of its own.
“The London Irish have a long history here and there is something about the community that I feel hugely attached to.
“I hope we add to British society and I’m pretty sure we do.”
Maurice O’Carroll, writer/ director of Swing Bout, told The Irish World: “It’s actually great to be here because I used to dig roads outside here once upon a time on night shift and I always imagined being inside the cinema so to bring the film over here, it’s actually a huge moment for me.”
Chrissie Cronin, from the cast of Swing Bout, said: “I was living in London for four or five years and have family here so it’s so cool to be back at the Irish Film Festival and to be having a film here.
“It’s a nice little full circle moment.”
Megan Haly of the Swing Bout cast added: “It’s just so lovely to have a UK audience but also feel an Irish community in London as well, which is so great.”
On what drew her to the film Megan said: “I grew up watching Katie Taylor fight.
“Something that definitely drew me to the story was that it was female led.
“We spoke to some boxers.
“All boxers have a story and usually have a reason why they’re fighting.
“Digging into that really helped.
“It was really exciting part of the job.”
Saturday came to a close with King Frankie, starring Peter Coonan.
Peter Coonan told The Irish World: “It’s a real honour to be here.
“This is my third feature in this festival.
“It’s incredible they’re supporting Irish movies year in year out, and it’s always good fun to come to London.”
Asked about the strong Irish talent that can be seen now Peter said: “I think all eyes are in Ireland at the moment.
“I mean, Cillian’s new film Small Things Like These, Saoirse’s producing her own movies, Paul is obviously at the height of his game but then you have Bad Sisters and you have a plethora of Irish actors who are performing at the very top level, and are writers as well and directors.
“I really think it’s a moment for Ireland.
“I think we’re telling uniquely different stories as well, now we’re telling universal tales that aren’t just the old Irish stories from 20, 30, years ago.
“I think we’re really kind of tapping into something universal where we’re challenging big issues but on a personal level that have a universal theme.
“I think in the next 10 years is going to be very strong for Irish films.
“I would love to be back again (at this festival) and I’d love to keep making movies that are holding the mirror up to our society and asking tough questions.”
The final day of the festival got underway with Colin Hickey’s experimental dialogue free film featuring animation, Perennial Light.
Colin Hickey said: “I studied here in London 20 years ago.
“I did a course here at the London Film Academy and then after that, I worked in the film business for a few years, made some short films, and I left about 15 years ago so to be back here now screening a film at a cinema that I used to go to is really a great feeling. I’m very happy.
“It is my first time screening in London.
“Just on a personal level, it’s a huge thing to be here.
“It’s great to be amongst a lot of really good films.”
This was followed by a 40th anniversary screening of Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves.
Neil Jordan told The Irish World: “Delightful (to be here).
“It’s lovely to see the movie, see all the people who worked in it, many of whom are dead now actually, but it was lovely to see.
“It was quite interesting to see it after 40 years.
“It’s a beautiful kind of fable, a beautiful fairy tale.
“It’s an interesting riff on fairy tales in general and I thought it was rather interesting to see.”
On the wealth of film making talent Ireland now has Jordan added: “There is a lot. There’s quite a lot.
“Years ago when I made this movie, you were almost like a freak if you made a movie in Ireland, but now a lot of people are doing it which is great.”
The festival came to a close with the bilingual rural thriller, Bring Them Down where the cast included Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney and Christopher Abbott.
Producer Julian Forde said: “We’re very proud to be here tonight at the Irish Film Festival London with Bring Them Down, really pleased that the film could be shared here with this great audience and excited to see the reaction.”
Producer Jacob Swan Hyam added: “Very happy for the film to be screened at another festival and for it to just reach a wider audience and to be at the Irish London Film Festival.”
The festival came to a close with the Irish Film London Awards at the Irish Embassy.
The Irish World was filming at the festival and the awards so keep looking out for our videos from the events.
