1916 Centenary

For a century now filmmakers both Irish and foreign have been drawn to the inherent drama in the Irish struggle for independence. Fiction and non-fiction films dealing with the 1916 – 1922 period abound. This programme presents a broad range of cinema and television work focusing particularly on the 1916 Rising. The tones vary from reverent to satirical, from unashamedly nationalistic to politically interrogative. The compendium of foreign perspectives range from the simple, unmediated camera rushes of British newsreel cameramen to the more complicated narrative layers of John Ford’s adaptation of Sean O’Casey’s 1916 tenement masterpiece; Jack Cardiff’s spin on John Ford’s later fictionalisation of Sean O’Casey’s life; and David Lean’s sumptuous love story to which the events of 1916 are but a footnote. Local filmmakers’ response to the narrative is no less textured: from Neil Jordan’s epic biopic of Michael Collins (itself the subject of much debate around historical accuracy); Isaac Eppel’s powerful War of Independence drama, Irish Destiny (released on the 10th anniversary of the Easter Rising); Gael Linn’s unashamedly nationalistic Mise Éire; the multi-faceted brace of new short works, inspired by the centenary and commissioned by the Irish Film Board; and the eclectic collection of shorts (mostly released for the 50th anniversary). Programme packages will be tailored to meet a range of exhibition needs.

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After ’16

Various, 2 hours aprox, 2016

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board Short Films A programme of nine short films inspired by the subject of 1916 and what it has left in its wake, commissioned by the IFB. Programme includes fiction and non-fiction, live-action and…

Irish Destiny

George Dewhurst, 78 minutes, 1926

The first feature to depict the Irish War of Independence, Irish Destiny plays out a romance between an IRA member and his lover against a backdrop of intrigue and violence. Leaving his beloved Moira (Frances MacNamara) behind, Denis O’Hara (Paddy…

Michael Collins

Neil Jordan, 132 minutes, 1996

An icon of Irish history, Michael Collins’ (Liam Neeson) life as a revolutionary becomes cinema in Neil Jordan’s historical epic. Retrenching after the failure of the 1916 Rising, Michael Collins sees its hero develop an army of street assassins whose…

Mise Éire

George Morrison, 88 minutes, 1959

Produced by the pioneering Irish language filmmakers Gael Linn, Mise Éire, draws almost exclusively on contemporaneous newspapers, newsreels and actuality footage from the early years of Ireland’s revolutionary period to present a history of that turbulence. The era under director…

Plough and the Stars

John Ford, 73 mins, 1936

In the spring of 1916, hostility towards the British is brewing on the streets of Dublin. Nora Clitheroe (Barbara Stanwyk) tries in vain to keep her husband Jack (Preston Foster) from joining the rebel forces for fear he will die…

Rocky Road to Dublin

Peter Lennon, 70 minutes, 1968

Rocky Road to Dublin is a 1968 documentary film by Irish-born journalist Peter Lennon and French cinematographer Raoul Coutard (long-time collaborator of Jean-Luc Godard), examining the contemporary state of the Republic of Ireland, posing the question, “what do you do…

Ryan’s Daughter

David Lean, 206 minutes, 1970

Made by David Lean whilst he was on a run of films that included Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter is arguably the most visually impressive film ever made in Ireland. Based on Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, the plot…

What We Leave in Our Wake

Pat Collins, 70 minutes, 2010

Developed in the midst of Ireland’s devastating property crash and subsequent recession, director Pat Collins uses this documentary to explore the materials – the institutions, attitudes, and politics –from which modern Ireland is made. Beginning by observing that throughout Irish…

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Ken Loach, 127 minutes, 2006

Bringing his trademark left-wing politics to bear on Irish history, director Ken Loach here, through the figure of young revolutionary Damien O’Donovan (Cillian Murphy), explores the social issues involved in Ireland’s War of Independence and Civil War. Abandoning his career…

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