Marking the 50th anniversary of its release in Los Angeles on February 6th, 1974, we are delighted to present this cult classic on the big screen. John Boorman followed the critical and financial success of Deliverance (1972) with this allegorical fantasy. Critics and audiences alike had difficulty in unravelling the film’s message, though it was praised for its cinematography and its use of the Irish landscape. In a post-apocalyptic world, barbarians (the Brutals) worship the stone idol Zardoz while growing food in the Outlands for a hidden elite, the Eternals. The Brutal Zed (a ponytailed Sean Connery) becomes curious about Zardoz, and his curiosity forces a confrontation between the two camps. Shot entirely in Ardmore Studios and Wicklow locations, the film also stars Charlotte Rampling and Niall Buggy, with a sprinkling of other Irish cast members, including a handful of Boormans.

The film will be introduced by Paul Duane.

Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn