Blissed is an experimental love story, both lyrical and graphic. Hovering in the sensuous haze where flesh and dream become one, it wordlessly explores the shared inner life of two people whose devotion to one another expresses itself in forms that still challenge convention. Sexually frank and poetically immersive, this plunge into one couple’s erotic utopia pushes the boundaries of what has previously been shown in Irish cinema in a way that is both sensitive and provocative. It is the work of Maximilian Le Cain, one of Ireland’s foremost experimental filmmakers, currently 2023 UCC/Arts Council Film Artist in Residence, and a longtime affiliate of the Dublin-based Experimental Film Society. He has spent decades interrogating the idea of what Irish cinema could be through constant exploration of the outer limits of cinematic form and narrative. The soundtrack is an original composition by renowned veteran sound artist Mick O’Shea.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Maximilian Le Cain, hosted by filmmaker Dean Kavanagh.