Irish Film Institute -FIRST FORTNIGHT 2020

FIRST FORTNIGHT 2020

The IFI is proud to again partner with mental health charity First Fortnight throughout January.

IRENE’S GHOST
SAT 4th (13.30)

Irene’s Ghost follows a son’s search to find out about the mother he never knew. Iain was 3 when his mother Irene died. His Dad never spoke about it, and the family silence around Irene meant that she was alive only in Iain’s imagination.
Later in life, the birth of his own child inspires a journey to discover the truth about Irene, piecing together fragments of the past to uncover a long held family secret. Using animation mixed with filmed footage, Irene’s Ghost explores memory and mental health to movingly rebuild a lost life.
This event will include a post-screening discussion.

HORRIBLE CREATURE
WED 8TH (18.30)  [F-RATED]

In 1915, James Joyce and Nora Barnacle travelled with their young children Giorgio and Lucia to Switzerland to escape the turmoil of World War I. Lucia later trained as a dancer and performed throughout Europe. Her career ended when, in the early 1930s, she was forced into psychiatric care and underwent treatment at various hospitals across Europe.
Horrible Creature is the second in a proposed trilogy of films directed by Áine Stapleton (dance and film artist) and is filmed at locations in Switzerland where Lucia spent time. The first, Medicated Milk, challenged the accepted biography of Lucia’s life and considered the complexity of mental instability.
Here, Lucia’s own writing, interpreted by a cast of international dance artists, conjures her world between 1915 and 1950. The film fearlessly explores her difficult family life, her unproven illness, and her undoubted talent.
The screening will be followed by Q&A with director Áine Stapleton.

IFI FAMILY & FIRST FORTNIGHT: FEELING FINE
SUN 19TH (11.00)

For the second IFI Family @ First Fortnight event, we have this programme of specially chosen international short films. The programme opens with The Kite (Pouštět draka), an exquisite Czech animation about a young boy and his special relationship with his grandad. Flying kites together, their friendship soars.
Both characters are made of layers, rich and dense for the young boy, thinner and lighter for grandad. When their relationship changes, the young boy holds as fast to his memories as the string of his kite.
This story and more, covering friendship, loss, difficult times and love, show an array of filmmaking talent, dedicated to leaving you and your young viewers feeling fine.
Recommended for ages 8+. Tickets cost €5.50 per person with a family ticket (2 adults + 2 children, 1 adult + 3 children) available for €16.50.

Programme

IFI CINEMAS TODAY


The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland