Notes from Sheepland

from DIFF 2023 Online Catalogue

FIRST FRAME

INFO: Mon 27 Feb / Irish Film Institute /

Notes from Sheepland bursts with candid observations of the lipstick-wearing, always swearing, no-nonsense artist and shepherd, Orla Barry. Through her fields, her digital diaries, and the pedigree sheep she cares for, we discover how the art is in the doing. Barry previously published her book, Shaved

Pray for our Sinners

INFO: Fri 3 Mar / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 81 mins

DIRECTOR: Sinead O’Shea

WRITER: Sinead O’Shea

COUNTRY: Ireland

Award-winning filmmaker and journalist Sinéad O’Shea trains her lens towards the everyday citizens pushing back against powerful establishments. In doing so, they confront the Catholic Church’s history of brutality against women and children, from corporal punishment to state-sanctioned mother and baby homes. In a deeply moving and personal film, O’Shea returns to her home town of Navan to chronicle the courage and stories of those who stood up to authority.

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE

Peter O’Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba

INFO: Sat 25 Feb / Light House 1 / 15:30 / 90 mins

DIRECTOR: Jim Sheridan

WRITER: Catriona Rogan

CAST: Anthony Hopkins, Jane Merrow, Peter O’Toole

COUNTRY: Ireland

With HoH Captioning

His pure acting talent and colourful nature made him one of cinema’s most-iconic and memorable stars. Yet Peter O’Toole first began working in theatre in what grew to be an illustrious and lengthy stage career. Jim Sheridan’s documentary reflects on the theatrical legacy of the man who brought a touch of danger to his work. Appropriately structured over four acts, Sheridan’s film features vast archive footage and interviews with those who knew him best.

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE

Stolen

INFO: Thurs 2 Mar / Light House 1 / 20:30 / 102 mins

DIRECTOR: Margo Harkin

WRITER: Margo Harkin

COUNTRY: Ireland

Trailblazing filmmaker Margo Harkin (Hush-a-Bye-Baby) returns to the screen with a powerful account of the one of the greatest scandals in the history of the state. Stolen provides an insight into the Irish mother and baby homes scandal that reverberated around the world and revealed the terrible injustices that had been imposed on families. Harkin’s film examines the circumstances of the scandal and the revelations that went on to spark a government inquiry.

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE

The Future Tense

INFO: Wed 1 Mar / Irish Film Institute / 18:00 / 90 mins

DIRECTOR: Joe Lawlor & Christine Molloy

WRITER: Joe Lawlor & Christine Molloy

COUNTRY: Ireland

Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor follow their smart and timely thriller Rose Plays Julie with this documentary about Ireland and England’s complicated relationship. It’s centred around the flight time between Stansted and Dublin Airport - a journey the filmmakers know well - as they consider moving back to Ireland. They explore their own immigration story with wit and intelligence as they ruminate on whether to stay or go, contemplating writer Rebecca Solnit’s line: “In different places, different thoughts emerge”.

*FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! Live

Kanaval: A People's History of Haiti in Six Chapters

INFO: Fri 24 Feb / Light House 2 / 16:30 / 76 mins

DIRECTOR: Leah Gordon, Eddie Hutton-Mills

WRITER: Leah Gordon, Eddie Hutton-Mills

COUNTRY: Haiti

"Every year the Haitian seaside town of Jacmel embraces its carnival spirit. But this is no ordinary party of floats and fireworks. Instead, locals dress in outfits that reflect their own often-troubled history and culture. This documentary captures - and echoes the spirit and colour of - Haiti’s carnival celebrations, unlike any Mardi Gras you’ve ever witnessed.

It’s a remarkable testament to the country’s turbulent past - and its people’s courage and dissent in the face of suppression. "

*DIRECTOR IN ATTENDANCE

Day After...

INFO: Mon 27 Feb / Light House 2 / 15:50 / 115 mins

DIRECTOR: Kahmar Ahmad Simon

WRITER: Kahmar Ahmad Simon

COUNTRY: Bangladesh

Hamlet Syndrome

INFO: Tue 28 Feb / Light House 2 / 18:10 / 85 mins

DIRECTOR: Elwira Niewiera & Piotr Rosolowski

WRITER: Elwira Niewiera & Piotr Rosolowski

CAST: Oksana Cherkashyna

COUNTRY: Poland & Germany

What if a river could tell stories? That’s the question at the heart of Kamar Ahmad Simon’s seductive and immersive film. The second part of his “water trilogy” (after Are You Listening!) is set in central Bangladesh, where a century-old paddle steamer transports people from all walks of life along their daily lives. Through the stories, conservations and hopes of its passengers, the film serves as both a fascinating travelogue and a funny and moving account of social life.

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the country faced conflict in the Donbas region. Ukrainian theatre maker Roza Sarkisian set out to mount a production of Hamlet with five young actors who all bear scars of trauma due to their experience in Donbas. Directors Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosolowski capture their rehearsal process - and the extraordinary healing powers of performance - amid rumours that a full-scale invasion is imminent.

*DIRECTORS IN ATTENDANCE

Calf

DIRECTOR: Jamie O’Rourke

WRITER: Jamie O’Rourke

PRODUCERS: Ronan Cassidy & Greg Burrowes

With the looming arrival of the birth of a calf on the horizon, a sinister farm accident leaves Cáit with a terrible decision to make.

Suitable for 15 years or over

INFO: Sat 25 Feb / Light House 2 / 18:30

Unhinged

DIRECTOR: Zoë Brennan-Whitmore

WRITER: Mary Kirwan

PRODUCERS: Fiona Dwyer

Following a recent sighting of her crush on a dating app, an overthinking, fat millennial searches for reassurance that her feelings are reciprocated. With the help and hindrance of the “Ghosts of Dating Apps Past”, finding these signs is easy. However, in a world awash with fatphobia, believing them can feel impossible.

Suitable for 15 years or over

INFO: Sat 25 Feb / Light House 2 / 18:30

Good Chips

DIRECTOR: Nell Hensey

WRITERS: Brigid Leahy & Nell Hensey

PRODUCERS: Lara Hickey & Sarah Ahern

In Dublin 1989, a family of Vietnamese immigrants struggle to keep their takeaway business afloat, while their 12 year old daughter Tam unexpectedly finds common ground with a local Irish boy.