19 Feb Irish Film Week: Classics by Neil Jordan, Black Comedy, and Contemporary Ireland
This year, during Irish Film Week (March 8-14), you will have the opportunity to watch 15 films – including classics by Neil Jordan, black comedies, love stories, and films about contemporary Ireland, as well as films tackling important social issues such as mental health and women’s empowerment.
Neil Jordan, a star of Irish cinema and the most internationally acclaimed screenwriter and director from Ireland, will be the honorary guest of the 13th Belgrade Irish Festival (March 6-17, 2025) and will visit Belgrade for the first time in March.
Irish Film Week will open with Jordan’s historical biographical drama Michael Collins (March 8, 19:00), about the legendary Irish revolutionary Michael Collins, celebrated for his role in the fight for Irish independence from Great Britain in the early 20th century. Liam Neeson, who plays Michael Collins, won the Best Actor award at the 53rd Venice Film Festival. Julia Roberts stars as Collins’ fiancée, Kitty Kiernan.
“The Good Thief” (March 8, 20:00) is a film by Jordan that will be of particular interest to the local audience because it features Emir Kusturica, who plays a Russian casino owner in Nice. The friendship between the two renowned directors has lasted since the filming of this movie in 2002. The film also stars Nick Nolte and Ralph Fiennes.
The black comedy “The Butcher Boy“ (March 12, 18:00) tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy who, in an escape from his dysfunctional family, retreats into a world of his own fantasies, which turn out to be equally violent. This film by Jordan won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival.
The fourth Jordan film we’ll watch is “The Company of Wolves” (March 14, 20:00), an adaptation of a feminist reworking of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, focusing on the theme of a young girl’s sexual awakening. The film was made before the advent of digital effects and is filled with old-school special effects.
During the Irish Film Week, we will also watch “Kneecap“ (March 10, 20:00; March 13, 18:00), a docudrama about the eponymous rap group from Belfast who, by chance, become leaders of the movement to preserve the Irish language. Just a few days ago, the film won a BAFTA for Best British Film Debut.
Director and actor Terry McMahon will talk to the audience after his film “Patrick’s Day” (March 9, 20:00), which tells the story of a young man suffering from schizophrenia whose life changes the moment he falls in love.
Hazel Doupe, a young Irish actress, will attend the screening of the film “Kathleen is Here“ (March 11, 20:00), in which she plays the lead role. The film tells the story of a girl who leaves her foster family and returns to her hometown in an attempt to create a new life.
The film “Adam and Paul” (March 12, 20:00) is a dark comedy about two heroin-addicted friends from Dublin, with one of the leading roles played by actor Mark O’Halloran. He will attend the screening and engage in a discussion with the audience.
We will also watch the short film “An Irish Goodbye“ (March 11, 18:00). The film follows the reunion of two brothers and won the 2023 Oscar for Best Short Film.
Another of O’Halloran’s short films, “An Encounter“ (March 12, 20:00), will be on the program this year. The film tells the story of two unusual friends who skip class and wander the streets of Dublin until a chance encounter with a stranger changes everything.
“Housewife of the Year” (March 14, 18:00) is a documentary about a unique cultural event in Ireland—the competition for the “Housewife of the Year” title, which aired in prime time on television. The story sheds light on the role of women in Ireland, offering a “bitter yet uproariously funny tale of a generation of strong women who changed Ireland in their own way.”
BIF will also host director Frank Manion. We will watch his films “Quintessentially Irish“ (March 8&10, 18:00) and “Quintessentially British“ (March 11, 18:00), which are postcards about the people, buildings, and ideas of these islands.
This year’s program also includes two films not related to Irish authors.
As part of the BIF, an exclusive photo exhibition from Jean-Luc Godard’s film “Contempt“ (March 13, 20:30), processed using a very special and now rarely used photographic technique, will be presented at the Monolog Gallery. Additionally, the film will be screened at the Kinoteka, starring Brigitte Bardot.
A part of the program this year will be dedicated to the incredible historical ties between the Serbian and Irish nations during World War I. A little-known historical story about the participation of the 10th Irish Division on the Balkan front in 1915/16 will be the focus of a lecture by two historians, Professor Miloš Ković from the University of Belgrade and Shane Brown from Dublin University. In honor of this story, the film “Serbian Calvary” (March 9, 18:00), considered the best documentary film shot in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, will be screened. The film also features an Irish marching song from World War I.