Mark O’Connor and cast members will attend a preview screening on April 18th (18.30) and take part in a Q&A as part of Spotlight: New Irish Film at the IFI. 

Dublin writer-director Mark O’Connor follows up his promising feature debut (gangland thriller Between the Canals) with this hot-blooded drama. The film centres on John Paul Moorehouse, a Traveller determined to uncover the truth about his father’s murder a decade earlier. This quest coincides with familial pressures to constantly provoke members of the rival Power family, as well as struggles to avoid conflict with the local settled community, who may have more criminal persuasions than the Travellers they demonise.

The script is interspersed with well-placed quips and razor-sharp barbs, while the acting is refreshingly naturalistic throughout. The impressive home-grown cast features many non-professional members of the Travelling community, alongside recognisable local faces, including Love/Hate‘s Peter Coonan. The Moorhouse family’s tribulations are intercut with various everyday facets of Traveller life, all seamlessly blended to support the action. Be sure to keep an eye on the opening credits for some great scene-setting source material from our very own IFI Irish Film Archive. (Notes by Ronan Jackson)