‘Filums’: The Irish Film Canon

Ireland has produced some truly wonderful films, and some of my personal favourite films of all time. The Irish film industry has grown significantly in the last few decades, producing notable and influential works which can be said to construct an Irish Film Canon.

The ‘Film Canon’ itself comprises films which are recognised as being high quality and important. This recognition can come from awards such as The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes and in the case of Ireland the IFTAs or just wide recognition from the public.

For the purposes of this article, I will consider any film which had an Irish director or was made by an Irish production studio an Irish film. In terms of compiling my idea of a canon, I will be looking at films which won awards such as The Academy Awards, BAFTAs or IFTAs or had wide critical acclaim. I will also consider films which were important for Irish Cinema as a whole. I won’t be considering anything that’s not at least 5 years old.

The Irish Film Canon

Mise Eire (George Morrison, 1959) This was the first ever feature length film in Irish. Named after the poem by Padraig Pearse, it chronicles the events of the Easter Rising. It is important not just for being the first film in Irish but also for being an archive of such a pivotal moment in Irish history. It is made up almost entirely of newsreels and real footage from the time. It was a massive undertaking by director George Morrison and it is a beautiful preservation of Irish history and a moving ode to the martyrs of 1916.

My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan, 1989) This is widely considered to be the best Irish film of all time, and for good reason. It is based on the life of Christy Brown, a working-class Dubliner with cerebral palsy who could only control his left foot and went on to be a renowned artist. It was nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture. It is inspirational without feeling hollow, and it got Daniel Day Lewis his first Oscar for Best Actor.

The Snapper (Stephen Frears, 1993) Based on the novel by Roddy Doyle, this slice-of-life comedy takes place in the same world as The Commitments (Alan Parker, 1991) and The Van (Stephen Frears, 1996) All three of these films could make it on here for their importance in Irish cinema’s history but The Snapper is perhaps the most fondly remembered and quotable today. It centres on a working class family in North Dublin and how they deal with the news that the eldest daughter, Sharon (Tina Kellegher), is pregnant and refuses to identify the father.