Irish Language Cinema Season
To celebrate the release of the hilarious and scabrous Kneecap, we’re presenting some of the milestones of Irish-language cinema, from Connemara to Camden. In partnership with The Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith, we offer an opportunity to discover the cultural history of Irish in Ireland and in the UK.
Films
30 July | Poitín
In a rare chance to see the first Irish-language feature film, Poitín tells the story of moonshiner Michil in a remote farm in Connemara. We will be joined by filmmaker Sé Merry Doyle of The Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmithfor a special Q&A, placing Poitín in context.
6 August | Kings
Set locally and based upon Jimmy Murphy’s stage play The Kings of the Kilburn High Road, Kings follows four friends as they gather for a wake of a friend with whom they made the journey to Camden from Connemara in the 1970s, seeking a better life. This adaptation is a showcase for some of Ireland’s finest actors including Colm Meaney and Brendan Conroy (most recently seen in the Kiln box-office-breaking That They May Face the Rising Sun).
13 August | Kneecap
Kneecap are perhaps the world’s great Irish-language hip hop outfit, and this fictional biography of their rise to international stardom sees them fleeing the gardaí, sticking it to the man and accidentally starting an Irish-language renaissance. We are proud to present a special preview of Kneecap ahead of its UK release, alongside a panel discussion on the past and present of the Irish language at home and abroad.
This season is presented in collaboration with the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International Programme supported by Culture Ireland.
