Born into a life of wealth and privilege, English debutante Rose Dugdale defies her family’s expectations for a good marriage and goes instead to Oxford, where the seeds of her political radicalisation are sown. Amongst the political turmoil of the 1970s, her sympathy towards the IRA’s conflict culminates in her leading an armed and violent raid on Russborough House on April 26th, 1974 in which nineteen masterpieces were stolen. Baltimore is based on the real events surrounding the raid, and the days following when Rose is in hiding in a remote cottage.

Molloy and Lawlor reveal the ferocity and complexity of Rose Dugdale in a film that is masterful in its construction – with deft criss-crossing of timelines, an ominous, unsettling score, and a tightly-knit cast led by a mesmerising Imogen Poots.

Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn.

This film is screening as part of our Best of Irish 2024 Season.