27 Feb INTRODUCING THE FILM PROGRAM OF THE 12TH BELGRADE IRISH FESTIVAL
The Week of Irish Film, as part of the program of the 12th Belgrade Irish Festival – BIF (March 8 – 18), is dedicated to special guest Jim Sheridan, a screenwriter and director who has brought international recognition to modern Irish cinema and who, on this occasion, will be visiting Serbia once again.
Throughout eight days of the Festival, dedicated to film (March 8 – 15), we will see 15 movies by Irish authors, all selected with the aim to introduce us to the lives and achievements of iconic Irish figures, from actors and musicians to footballers and LGBTQ+ activists.
Guests of Belgrade and BIF, alongside Sheridan, include directors Alan Ginsenan, former director of the Irish Film Institute, Kevin Hughes, Katherine Harte, and Edwina Forkin, founder of Zanzibar Productions. We will watch their films at the Kinoteka, in the building on Kosovska 11, where, after the screenings, the authors will engage in discussions with the audience.
“The film program this year showcases creators who have been or are icons of Irish culture and art, people who have put Ireland on the map of world creativity. Serbian audiences will see films that celebrate the lives of famous actors Peter O’Toole and Richard Harris, musicians Shane MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor, as well as football star and Manchester United hero George Best or LGBTQ+ activist, Panti Bliss,” says Jash Kaminski, director and initiator of BIF in Serbia.
The film program is realized in collaboration with the international program of the Irish Film Institute, supported by organizations Culture Ireland and Screen Ireland.
WHAT TO WATCH DURING THE IRISH FILM WEEK AT THE BELGRADE IRISH FESTIVAL?
“My Left Foot,” a film by Jim Sheridan, depicts the life of Christy Brown, an Irish artist who, despite cerebral palsy, learned to paint and write using only his left foot. (March 8, 7:00 PM, Kinoteka building on Uzun Mirkova Street)
“In the Name of the Father,” another successful collaboration between Sheridan and Daniel Day-Lewis, tells the story of a young man from Belfast forced to admit involvement in an IRA bombing he did not commit. (March 14, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“Peter O’Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba,” a documentary by Jim Sheridan about the legendary Irish actor Peter O’Toole. (March 14, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
” The Ghost of Richard Harris,” a documentary about the life of Richard Harris, featuring commentary by Sheridan. (March 11, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“Nothing Compares,” a documentary about the life of the renowned musician Sinead O’Connor. (March 9, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story,” follows the life of Shane MacGowan, from his childhood in Ireland and the UK to the rise and fall of The Pogues, of which he was the frontman. (March 11, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“The Queen of Ireland,” a documentary about Rory O’Neil, better known as the drag queen Panti Bliss, on the eve of the historic referendum on same-sex marriage in Ireland. (March 13, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“George Best – All By Myself,” a biographical film about the legendary Manchester United football star, George Best. (March 10, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“The Ghosts of Baggotonia,” a film by Alan Ginsenan, explores the literary spirits of the bohemian Baggot Street in Dublin during the mid-20th century. Following the film, there will be a discussion with the author. (March 12, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka)
“Ulysses,” a film by Alan Ginsenan, offers a contemporary response to James Joyce’s famous novel “Ulysses,” provocatively and imaginatively “reading” the novel. (March 12, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka)
“The Laughing Boy” is a film that follows Irish poet Theo Dorgan, who is also a guest of the BIF, on a personal journey as he tries to uncover the historical connection between Ireland and Greece, thanks to the song “The Laughing Boy ” by Brendan Behan, which inspired the resistance movement in Greece. Dorgan will introduce himself to the audience after the film. (March 15, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)
“Baltimore” is a film based on the life of an English aristocrat who rejects her inheritance and joins the IRA. Edwina Forki, the founder of Zanzibar Productions, will attend the screening and engage in a discussion with the audience after the film. (March 13, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11).
“Faith and Branko” is an intimate documentary that follows the relationship, love, marriage, and creativity of two musicians from different cultures, Faith and Branko, an English musician and a Roma violinist from Serbia. Author Catherine Harte will attend the screening, and the audience will have the opportunity to talk with her. (March 9, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11).
“The Man Who Wanted to Fly” follows eighty-year-old Bobby, who dreams of flying and has won 21 international awards. (March 15, 6:00 PM, Kinoteka)
“Dear Mother” tells the story of two young men sentenced to death in 1922 in Ireland. After the screening, there will be a discussion with the author, Kevin Hughes.
The Irish Film Week also presents a screening of the Serbian classic “Who’s Singin’ Over There?” as a cinematic “addition” to the vibrant exhibition by photographer Joseph-Philippe Bevillard about the Irish nomads, the Mincéirs, which will be displayed at the UK Parobrod. (March 10, 8:00 PM, Kinoteka, Kosovska 11)