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See details of our current seasons below.
Cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker wrote that “the idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else.” It follows therefore that we naturally shy away from this inevitability and instead focus on the quotidian joys and disappointments of life, the whole of which Nabokov calls “a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.” And yet, this awareness of our impermanence – conscious or otherwise – can exert a profound influence on the way we live. But it is not just our own mortality that informs our human experience. The loss of a loved one and the grief that follows is an equally inescapable part of life. While grief is an intensely personal experience, it also has a communal role across practically all cultures, met with ritual and even celebration that honour the dead and acknowledge the loss of them. As noted in Marvel’s WandaVision, a thoughtful exploration of this loss, “what is grief, if not love persevering?” While religion and spirituality seek to comfort us with the thought that death merely represents a transition from one mode of existence to another, certain schools of philosophy consider the possibility that this brief flicker of being is all that there is, and that it is the knowledge of its end that gives life meaning. This dichotomy has permeated art throughout human history, from the 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh to John Green’s YA novel The Fault In Our Stars (2014); from the familiar hooded figure with a scythe in 14th-century European art to the friendly Goth in the Sandman graphic novels; from Mozart to The Cure; from Bergman’s Cries And Whispers (1972) to Michael Schur’s sitcom The Good Place (2016-20), and countless others besides. This season of films takes its cue from thanatology and explores some of the many facets of death and mortality. There are thematic pairings throughout, interspersed with some of cinema’s many contemplations of what, if anything, lies beyond this realm or plane of existence. It is hoped that the work chosen fosters discussion in the communal atmosphere of the cinema, given the universal experience depicted. As Jim Morrison sang, “no one here gets out alive”, but perhaps through the solace afforded by art in giving exposure to the basic, universal idea of the end of our lives, and that it is something we all must face, we can come to accept Murakami’s cathartic insight that “death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” Season Notes by Kevin Coyne. Season Schedule: Ikiru – Sat 2 May (15:30) My Life Without Me – Sun 3 May (16:00) Kati Kati – Wed 6 May (18:30) Amour – Sat 9 May (15:30) Anxiety + Death & Transfiguration – Sun 10 May (15:40) A Matter of Life and Death – Wed 13 May (18:20) Ponette – Sat 16 May (16:10) The Sweet Hereafter (35MM) – Sun 17 May (15:45) Orphée – Wed 20 May (18:30) A Ghost Story – Sat 23 May (16:20) Lake Mungo – Sun 24 May (16:30) After Life – Wed 27 May (18:00) This Mortal Coil: IFI & Seanchoíche - Memories – Sat, May 30th (18.00) Amour is available to stream on IFI@Home as part of Complicit: The Films of Michael Haneke until 1 July. _ NOW BOOKING Book now for cinema screenings via https://ifi.ie/this-mortal-coil/ or via IFI Box Office in-person or over the phone via 01 679 5744. Season bundles are available for IFI Members only:
Few actors have embodied the volatility, glamour and psychological intensity of the cinema of the New Hollywood period as vividly as Faye Dunaway. This season traces a remarkable trajectory from the incendiary breakthrough of Bonnie and Clyde to the bruised, world-weary humanity of Barfly, spanning a period in which Dunaway became both icon and enigma. Across the 1970s and 1980s, her performances in films such as Chinatown and Network capture women navigating power, desire and disillusionment within shifting cultural landscapes. Whether commanding the screen with steely precision or revealing unexpected fragility, Dunaway brings an unmistakable intelligence and emotional force to every role. The films in this retrospective showcase her range across genres - from noir-inflected thrillers to intimate character studies - while reflecting the changing face of Hollywood itself. Together, they form a compelling portrait of an actor unafraid of risks and contradictions, and reaffirm Dunaway’s enduring status as one of cinema’s most magnetic and uncompromising presences. Season Notes by David O'Mahony. Season Schedule: Bonnie and Clyde - Saturday June 6th at 18.10 The Thomas Crown Affair - Sunday June 7th at 17.45 Chinatown - Saturday June 13th at 14.20 Network - Sunday June 14th at 14.30 Mommie Dearest - Saturday June 20th at 14.30 Three Days of the Condor - Sunday June 21st at 14.30 Barfly - Wednesday June 24th at 18.10 _ NOW BOOKING Book now for cinema screenings via ifi.ie/faye-dunaway or via IFI Box Office in-person or over the phone via 01 679 5744. Season bundles are available for IFI Members only:
The Irish Film Institute (IFI), Dublin is proud to present Stephen Spielberg’s latest spectacular epic, Disclosure Day, in luminous 70mm, from Wednesday, June 10th. As the only venue in Ireland with 70mm film projection capabilities, the IFI is honoured to screen the sci-fi of the summer in this analogue format for an unmatched viewing experience. To celebrate the film’s release, the IFI will also be screening a mini-season of Spielberg’s Sci-Fi. This will include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Sat, June 6th, 15.15), E.T. The Extraterrestrial (Sun, June 7th, 15.10), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Wed, June 17th, 20.10), and Minority Report (Sat, June 27th, 14.00), the last of which being the IFI’s June Bigger Picture screening, introduced by author and screenwriter Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant series, Boy Eats Girl). Customers who purchase tickets between May 14th and 27th for any Spielberg Sci-Fi screening will be automatically entered into a draw for tickets for a special advance preview screening of Disclosure Day - so book now for your chance to win! Tickets for 70mm screenings of Disclosure Day go on sale from Thursday May 28th.
AMÉLIE (25th ANNIVERSARY) 15.30
HEN (2026) 13.30, 18.00
HOKUM 20.40
IFI FAMILY: COCO 11.00
OBSESSION 15.40, 20.10
ONCE WE WERE PUNKS 11.20, 18.30
ROSE OF NEVADA 11.50
THE CHRISTOPHERS 13.15, 18.10, 20.30
THIS MORTAL COIL: LAKE MUNGO 16.30
TRAD 14.20
The IFI is supported by The Arts Council
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