VARDA BY AGNÈS JULY 2019 - Irish Film Institute
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JULY 2019 VARDA BY AGNÈS
THE IRISH
FILM INSTITUTE
EXHIBIT The Irish Film Institute is Ireland’s
national cultural institution for film.
PRESERVE It aims to exhibit the finest in independent,
Irish and international cinema, preserve
EDUCATE
Ireland’s moving image heritage at
the IFI Irish Film Archive, and encourage
engagement with film through its various
educational programmes.
IFI IRISH FILM IFI SUMMER
ARCHIVE TOURS TERRACE BITES
Treat the film obsessive in your life to a behind-the-scenes The summer is here, making it the perfect time to visit our
look at the IFI Irish Film Archive. This tour gives a unique fantastic outdoor terrace. Open every Thursday to Saturday
insight into the materials held in the IFI Irish Film Archive and from 16.00, we are delighted to offer a special summer tapas
talks through how we safeguard our collections that span menu featuring tasty flatbreads and sweet potato fries,
from 1897 to the present day. Attendees are also invited plus beats from our resident Terrace DJs every Friday from
to lunch at the IFI Café Bar. Tours will take place in July 19.00. See www.ifi.ie for more details. Proudly presented in
on Fridays 5th and 19th. See www.ifi.ie/archivetours for association with GCN.
further details.
MYSTERY MATINEE
Join us for Dublin’s best kept secret! This month’s This August will see the IFI embark on an ambitious and
screening, for which tickets cost just €5.20, will take much-needed refurbishment of our two largest cinema spaces
place at 13.00 on Sunday 21st. The film chosen could and our foyer roof. As a charity and non-profit, much of the
be anything from throughout the history of cinema, or funding is already in place, but we urgently need your support
even a preview of a hotly-anticipated upcoming release. to complete the works. You can donate at www.ifi.ie/donate
With the Mystery Matinee, you should always expect the or text IFI to 50300 to donate €4*. Alternatively, you can have
unexpected! A full list of previous screenings is available your name on a seat in the soon-to-be-refurbished Cinema 1
from www.ifi.ie/mystery-matinee-archive. – see shop.ifi.ie/nameyourseat for details.
2 *IFI will receive a minimum of €3.60. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.
DIRECTOR’S
NOTE
This July, it’s all hands on deck as we
continue to fundraise to help us realise
our plans to refurbish and upgrade the
facilities at the IFI.
JULY
AT THE IFI
The Current War
Our fundraising campaign is now well under way as we check out our rainforest activities on the opening night!
await big changes at the IFI! But as a registered charity and The IFI Family Festival is a great opportunity to introduce
not-for-profit, we need your help to help this to become a young film enthusiasts to films from all around the world,
reality. This summer, the home of film in Ireland will receive most of which would not be otherwise seen. Check out
a brand new look in our main cinema spaces with premium the full programme at www.ifi.ie/familyfest or in the
seats, more leg room, new carpets, acoustic panelling, and separate brochure.
urgently-needed repairs to our roof. Part of the funding is
now in place but we need your help to complete the works. This month we are thrilled to present a full retrospective
You can support us in a number of ways by: of the work of Robert Bresson, one of the most pivotal
French filmmakers of all time. Determined to differentiate
• Making a donation online, in our donations box or at cinema from theatre as a form of art, Bresson has made an
IFI Box Office (you choose the amount!) undeniable mark on both French and world cinema. In the
• Naming a seat in our new-look Cinema 1 (€300 for 3 years) planning for many years at IFI, we are pleased to now be able
to bring this season to fruition, and especially to present
• Becoming an IFI Member (€35/€20 per annum) his full body of work to our audiences. This is a rare
• Upgrade to become an IFI Friend (from €10 a month) opportunity to immerse yourself in the cinema of one
• Putting your name on our walkway with our other of the French greats.
IFI Luminaries (€5000)
Also, keep an eye out for the IFI Café Bar’s new summer
• Asking your company to name a corporate seat menu and a special drinks and food offering on our terrace
(€500 for 3 years) which is guaranteed to tickle your taste buds in fine weather
• Encouraging your company to become an (if we actually get any!)
IFI Corporate Member (from €1,000)
Ross Keane
Information on all of the above is available at ifi.ie in the ‘Join Director
& Support’ section, or you can talk to any of our staff. We
hope we can count on your support to help realise our plans.
The IFI Family Festival kick-starts our annual festival season
and runs this year from July 26th to 28th. We have another
wonderful programme lined up for our younger film fans,
with films from France, India, Japan, Australia, Sweden,
all told through animation and live-action. This year we’re
particularly delighted to have a strong theme of nature and
biodiversity running through the programme, so be sure to
3
NEW RELEASES, IFI SEASONS &
DOCS & IFI CLASSICS EVENTS CALENDAR
METAL HEART FROM JUNE 28TH DATE SCREENING TIME
DON’T LOOK NOW OPENS FRI 5TH 1ST IRISH FOCUS: PRISONERS OF THE MOON + Q&A 18.30
NEVER LOOK AWAY OPENS FRI 5TH MON
ROBERT BRESSON: ANGELS OF SIN 18.30
VITA AND VIRGINIA OPENS FRI 5TH 2ND
TUES
THE BRINK OPENS FRI 12TH 4TH THE COLD BLUE 18.30
THE DEAD DON’T DIE OPENS FRI 12TH THUR
OUR TIME OPENS FRI 12TH 6TH ROBERT BRESSON: LES DAMES DU BOIS 16.00
SAT DE BOULOGNE
TELL IT TO THE BEES OPENS FRI 19TH ROBERT BRESSON: DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST 16.00
7TH
VARDA BY AGNÈS OPENS FRI 19TH SUN
THE CHAMBERMAID OPENS FRI 26TH 8TH FROM THE VAULTS: THE LAST OF THE HIGH KINGS 18.30
MON
THE CURRENT WAR OPENS FRI 26TH
9TH OPEN CAPTIONED SCREENING: DON’T LOOK NOW 13.10
MARIANNE AND LEONARD: TUES ROBERT BRESSON: A MAN ESCAPED 18.15
WORDS OF LOVE OPENS FRI 26TH 10TH OPEN CAPTIONED SCREENING: DON’T LOOK NOW 18.15
WED FEAST YOUR EYES: VITA AND VIRGINIA 18.30
12TH OPEN CAPTIONED SCREENING: THE DEAD DON’T DIE 16.00
FRI
13TH ROBERT BRESSON: PICKPOCKET 16.00
SAT PAVAROTTI & SATELLITE Q&A 19.00
14TH ROBERT BRESSON: THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC 16.00
SUN
15TH THE BIGGER PICTURE: IRIS 18.30
MON
Films not classified by IFCO, including festival, one-off, and special 16TH ROBERT BRESSON: AU HASARD BALTHAZAR 18.20
screenings, are exhibited under Club rules and are restricted to persons 18 TUES
years and over. If you are not an IFI member, a daily membership (€1.50) is
required for unclassified films, and this will be added to your transaction. 17TH IFI FILM CLUB: THE BRINK 18.15
WED
† The exclusivity of films is correct at the time of print. All films exclusive
to the IFI are kindly supported by the Arts Council. 18TH OPEN CAPTIONED SCREENING: THE DEAD DON’T DIE 18.15
THUR
20TH ROBERT BRESSON: MOUCHETTE 16.00
linkedin.com/company/irishfilminstitute SAT
21ST MYSTERY MATINEE 13.00
@IrishFilmInstitute @IFI_Dub SUN ROBERT BRESSON: A GENTLE WOMAN 16.00
22ND IFI FRENCH FILM CLUB: VARDA BY AGNÈS 18.20
@IrishFilmInstitute MON
23RD ROBERT BRESSON: FOUR NIGHTS OF A DREAMER 18.20
TUES MARIANNE AND LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE + 20.10
For bookings and film information, please see our RECORDED Q&A
website, www.ifi.ie, or contact the IFI Box Office
26TH WILD STRAWBERRIES: FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS 11.00
on 01-6793477 (open 12.30 to 21.00 daily). FRI IFI FAMILY FESTIVAL 2019*
27TH ROBERT BRESSON: LANCELOT DU LAC 15.30
Open Captioned screening SAT IFI FAMILY FESTIVAL 2019*
28TH ROBERT BRESSON: THE DEVIL, PROBABLY 16.00
Audio Described screening SUN IFI FAMILY FESTIVAL 2019*
30TH ROBERT BRESSON: L’ARGENT 18.30
TUES
The F-rating is a classification 31ST WILD STRAWBERRIES: FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS 11.00
reserved for any film which is WED BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: BETWEEN STRUCTURE 18.30
directed and/or written by a woman. AND AGENCY
*See page 20 or the separate brochure for more details. www.ifi.ie/familyfest
4
JULY 2019
METAL
NEW RELEASE
HEART
FROM JUNE 28TH Fraternal twin sisters Emma (Jordanne When their parents go away for the
Jones) and Chantal (Leah McNamara) summer, their simmering sibling rivalry
FILM INFO: are worlds apart. Emma is Goth-ish, threatens to boil over, especially when
88 mins, Ireland, 2019, Digital self-conscious, and unsure of which their mysterious next door neighbour
path to take in life; she dreams of (Moe Dunford) moves back in…
starting a band with her best friend
Gary (Seán Doyle), who secretly has a In his debut feature actor/director
crush on her. Chantal, meanwhile, oozes Hugh O’Conor has delivered a refreshing
confidence, and knows exactly where coming-of-age comedy-drama about
Q&A her life is headed. a young woman which is poignant,
The 18.20 screening on
Friday, June 28th will be
sophisticated and wise.
followed by a Q&A with
director Hugh O’Conor and
Jordanne Jones.
DON’T
LOOK NOW
IFI CLASSIC
OPENS FRI 5TH Following the tragic death of their of the sisters’ intentions and their
daughter, John and Laura Baxter uncanny hold over his vulnerable wife.
FILM INFO: (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) Nicolas Roeg’s atmospheric masterpiece,
110 mins, UK-Italy, 1973, Digital relocate to wintery Venice. Whilst John based on Daphne du Maurier’s novella
Notes by David O’Mahony finds a modicum of comfort working on and screening in a new 4K restoration,
the restoration of a gothic church, his is both a ghost story rooted in realism,
bereft wife befriends two mysterious and a psychological thriller informed by
sisters, one of whom is blind and claims supernatural elements.
to have psychic abilities. She also
tells John that he has the same gift There will be Open Captioned screenings
of ‘second sight’ and that his life is in at 13.10 on Tuesday 9th and 18.15 on
grave danger. Unable to accept the idea Wednesday 10th.
of the supernatural, John is suspicious
5
JULY 2019
NEVER
LOOK AWAY
NEW RELEASE
OPENS FRI 5TH Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The the Nazis’ notorious Degenerate Art
Lives of Others, 2006) returns to recent exhibition of 1937. Years later, in what is
( WERK OHNE AUTOR) German history for his Oscar-nominated now East Germany, Kurt is a sign painter
third feature, an intimate epic which hoping to gain admittance to a local art
EXCLUSIVELY AT IFI†
explores the intersection of personal academy when he meets and falls in
FILM INFO: experience, politics and art for a young love with Ellie (Paula Beer), a student of
188 mins, Germany, 2018,
Digital, Subtitled
couple in the years following World War fashion design, unaware that her father,
Notes by David O’Mahony II. Inspired by the life of Gerhard Richter, Carl (Sebastian Koch), a former Nazi-
the film traces the artistic development sympathising doctor, was responsible
of Kurt (Tom Schilling), whose passion for his aunt’s death.
for contemporary art was ignited by
his aunt when she brought him to see
VITA AND
NEW RELEASE
VIRGINIA
OPENS FRI 5TH Vita and Virginia details the intimate is punctuated by episodes of Virginia’s
relationship between literary trailblazer psychosis creatively rendered as visual
FILM INFO: Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki) metaphors; the focus however is not on
110 mins, Ireland-UK, and her muse, the novelist and her well-publicised mania but rather on
2019, Digital poet Vita Sackville-West (Gemma the relationship that emboldened her and
Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn
Arterton). Drawing on their passionate inspired her modernist novel Orlando:
correspondence, the film celebrates A Biography. Debicki and Arterton
the unconventional and intoxicating create fully-fleshed opposites in this
relationship which flourished within meticulously designed period drama with
Presented in association with the sexually liberated Bloomsbury a refreshingly modern score. Director
Set, provoking the opprobrium of Chanya Button has created a timeless
their husbands and Vita’s overbearing love story that is contemporary both in
mother (Isabella Rossellini). The film its style and sensibility.
6
THE BRINK
IFI DOC
OPENS FRI 12TH When Steve Bannon left his position in the US, while shedding light on his
as White House Chief Strategist less efforts to mobilise and unify far-right
FILM INFO: than a week after the Charlottesville European parties in order to win seats in
90 mins, USA, 2018, Digital rally in August 2017, he was already a the May 2019 parliamentary elections.
Notes by David O’Mahony notorious figure in Trump’s inner circle
for bringing a far-right ideology into the Granted unprecedented access to her
highest echelons of American politics. subject for more than a year, Alison
Unconstrained by an official post, he Klayman adopts a vérité, observational
became free to peddle influence as a approach, throwing back the curtain and
‘kingmaker’, turning his controversial capturing in intimate detail the world in
IFI FILM CLUB
Join members of the IFI team
brand of nationalism into a global which Bannon operates.
for an informal discussion movement. The Brink follows Bannon
following the 18.15 screening through the 2018 midterm elections
on Wednesday 17th.
THE DEAD
NEW RELEASE
DON’T DIE
OPENS FRI 12TH The zombie apocalypse comes to and uncanny phenomena, the
small-town America in Jim Jarmusch’s reanimation of the dead as flesh-eating
FILM INFO: typically droll comedy, for which he has ghouls being the most alarming.
105 mins, USA, 2019, Digital assembled a cast to die for. Laconic Jarmusch’s self-aware script playfully
Notes by David O’Mahony police officers Ronnie (Adam Driver), Cliff references the tropes of zombie
(Bill Murray) and Mindy (Chloë Sevigny) mythology laid down by George A
patrol the sleepy streets of Centerville, Romero’s influential trilogy, and his
where criminal activity amounts to wry film is similarly laced with barbed
Hermit Bob (Tom Waits) stealing Farmer political commentary.
Miller’s (Steve Buscemi) chickens.
Bad times are ahead however, as polar There will be Open Captioned screenings
fracking has tilted the earth’s axis, at 16.00 on Friday 12th and 18.15 on
precipitating all manner of macabre Thursday 18th.
7
JULY 2019
OUR TIME
NEW RELEASE
OPENS FRI 12TH Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light, Battle in him information, the dynamic quickly
Heaven) turns the camera on himself in shifts, forcing Juan to examine his
(NUESTRO TIEMPO) this tale of a marriage at breaking point. fragile masculinity.
Reygadas and his real-life wife Natalia
EXCLUSIVELY AT IFI†
López play Juan and Esther, who live Incorporating beautiful, expansive
FILM INFO: a peaceful yet unusual existence on a photography, Our Time is a raw
173 mins, Mexico-France-
Germany-Denmark-Sweden,
Mexican cattle ranch; unusual insofar exploration of a couple at a moment
2018, Digital, Subtitled as they are in an open relationship with of crisis, a story that is somehow both
Notes by David O’Mahony Esther having an affair with an American quotidian yet epic in scope.
horse trainer. Juan, for his part, can
handle it as long as he hears how things
are going, but when Natalia stops giving
TELL IT TO
NEW RELEASE
THE BEES
OPENS FRI 19TH In a small Scottish town in the 1950s, new life into the old doctor’s house an
young mother Lydia (Holliday Grainger) unexpected romance blossoms between
EXCLUSIVELY AT IFI† is struggling to pay the rent as she Lydia and Jean, but in a small town
raises her son, Charlie, whose father where secrets are hard to keep, the
FILM INFO: returned from the war but never returned consequences of their love soon become
108 mins, UK, 2018, Digital
Notes by Saidhbh Ní Dhúlaing to them. When they finally get evicted, clear. Director Annabel Jankel weaves
the local doctor Jean (Anna Paquin), a tale of forbidden love in this romantic
who has recently come back to take period drama based on the novel by
over her deceased father’s medical Fiona Shaw.
practice, comes to the rescue providing
accommodation and work while also
igniting a new passion for beekeeping
in Charlie. As the three of them breathe
8
VARDA
BY AGNÈS
IFI DOC
OPENS FRI 19TH Whether behind the camera, or in front of Full of illuminating wisdom, moving
it as she often was, Agnès Varda always stories and amusing anecdotes,
(VARDA PAR AGNÈS) eschewed a conventional approach. In Varda by Agnès is a revealing self-
her final work, the multi-award-winning portrait of a pioneering figure with an
FILM INFO:
115 mins, France, 2018, filmmaker takes the audience on a uncompromising vision, a knowing
Digital, Subtitled journey through her remarkable life and attitude to her eccentric persona and
Notes by David O’Mahony career in her characteristically open a compassion and respect for people,
and contemplative yet playful manner. especially those living on the margins
Recordings of public appearances and of society.
conversations with her collaborators
are interwoven with film clips and Tickets for the 18.20 screening on Monday
installation footage as Varda considers 22nd cost just €7.80 for IFI and Alliance
her work as a director and visual artist. Française members.
THE
NEW RELEASE
CHAMBERMAID
OPENS FRI 26TH Eve (Gabriela Cartol) is a reserved young shell. Adopting a quasi-documentary
woman working as a chambermaid in approach, Lila Avilés's striking debut
(LA CAMARISTA) a luxurious hotel in Mexico City. It’s feature, which restricts the action
exhausting work, the hours long, leaving almost exclusively to the hotel,
EXCLUSIVELY AT IFI†
her little time to see her four-year-old observes Eve’s daily routine –
FILM INFO: son, but Eve hopes her diligence will be it baby-sitting the child of a bratty
102 mins, Mexico-USA, 2018,
Digital, Subtitled
secure for her a coveted position as Argentinian guest, or flirting with
Notes by David O’Mahony the cleaner on the prestigious, newly- the hotel’s window cleaner – whilst
refurbished 42nd floor. She enrols poignantly conveying the impersonal
in the hotel’s adult literacy course yet intimate act of cleaning up
and befriends the vivacious Miriam after strangers.
(Teresa Sánchez), a co-worker who
valiantly attempts to coax her out of her
9
JULY 2019
THE CURRENT
NEW RELEASE
WAR
OPENS FRI 26TH Fuelled by the intense rivalry between entrepreneurial Westinghouse, his less
electricity titans Thomas Edison flamboyant competitor, convinced of
FILM INFO: (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George their unique solutions. Director Alfonso
108 mins, USA, 2017, Digital Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), The Gomez-Rejon makes an impressive leap
Current War tells the dramatic story of in scale here from his much-admired
the late 19th century race to light up debut Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
America. Edison confirmed his status as (2015), the eye-catching visual style
a self-proclaimed genius in 1879 when he employs being a testament to his
he conducted the first successful light association with Martin Scorsese,
bulb tests, declaring an end to night as Michael Mann and Alejandro González
people knew it. The wide distribution of Iñárritu, on whose films he apprenticed.
electricity proved a daunting challenge
however, with both Edison and the
MARIANNE
AND LEONARD:
IFIRELEASE
DOC
WORDS OF LOVE
NEW
OPENS FRI 26TH Leonard Cohen met Marianne Ihlen, his footage, the film follows their relationship
Norwegian muse, on the Greek Island from its beginnings on the island, an
FILM INFO: of Hydra in 1960. They fell in love and innocent time of ‘free love’ and open
98 mins, USA, 2018, Digital their complex relationship endured in marriage, to its collapse under the weight
Notes by David O’Mahony its various forms up to their deaths in of Leonard’s growing celebrity status.
2016 which were separated by just three
months. Cohen was still a poet at the There will be a special preview screening at
time, having not yet made the transition 20.10 on Tuesday, July 23rd, followed by a
to recording his writings as songs, and recorded Q&A with director
the bohemian lifestyle shared by the Nick Broomfield.
artistic community on Hydra was the
perfect environment for his work to
flourish. Featuring wonderful archival
10ARCHIVE AT IRISH FOCUS
LUNCHTIME
Messing with the Kids
GROOVY MOVIES PRISONERS OF THE MOON
Join us for daily free films from the IFI Irish Film MON 1ST (18.30)
Archive. Simply collect tickets at IFI Box Office
– please see www.ifi.ie for more information. This drama/documentary tells the story of Arthur
Rudolph, a scientist who played a key role in
PROGRAMME ONE NASA’s historic 1969 moon landing. Rudolph was
MESSING WITH THE KIDS: POP MUSIC one of over 100 Nazi V-2 rocket engineers secretly
AND YOUTH CULTURE IN IRELAND brought to America in 1945 to work on the Cold
War missile programme. He became a key figure in
Father Brian D’Arcy, speaking from a vinyl-pressing NASA's space race, but was arrested in Toronto in
plant in Dublin, explores the influence of the rock 1990 on suspicion of being a war criminal.
and pop industry on young people. This remarkable
film includes concert footage of Rory Gallagher The dramatised trial (featuring Jim Norton
and interviews with Joe Dolan, Shay Healy, Gilbert and Cathy Belton) animates this revelatory
O’Sullivan and the mother of a Bay City Roller! documentary which uses archive material, expert
FILM INFO: Radharc, 27 mins, Ireland, 1977, Digital witness interviews, and the testimony of Jean
Michel, a slave labour survivor of the subterranean
PROGRAMME TWO wartime V-2 Rocket factory where some 20,000
GREENISLAND ROCK people died.
A day in the life of John, a 1950s enthusiast who
As the 50th anniversary celebrations of the
established a Rock’n’Roll society in the village of
NASA moon landing continue, this is the story of
Greenisland, County Antrim. The film show three
America's desperation to beat Russia to the moon
generations of John’s family making posters,
at all costs.
visiting a Carrickfergus record shop, and tailoring
outfits for the weekly gathering of the society The screening will be followed by a Q&A with
where they jive the night away to the music of The director Johnny Gogan and writer Nick Snow.
Alley Cats, a leading Belfast rockabilly band.
FILM INFO: Roy Spence, 22 mins, Northern Ireland, 1982, Digital DIRECTOR: Johnny Gogan
FILM INFO: 75 mins, Ireland, 2019, Digital
Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn
For more on the 50th anniversary of the moon landings,
see Apollo 11 which opened on June 28th.
11Pickpocket
ROBERT BRESSON
Despite a relatively small body of work consisting of His films are infused with spiritual themes, often
thirteen feature films made over forty years, Robert attempting to examine issues of redemption and
Bresson is one of the most revered and pivotal of salvation, and how the individual’s place in broader
French filmmakers. Determined to differentiate society may affect the possibility of achieving either
cinema from theatre as a form of art, one with state. While his films are undeniably serious and
its own distinct rules and power, Bresson honed frequently challenging, Bresson’s œuvre is equally
over the course of his career an ascetic style that undeniably one of the most sublime in cinema history.
eschewed the traditional use of elements such
as scoring and professional performances. It was Introduction and notes on individual films by Kevin
his belief that this would speak to a rawer and Coyne. A multi-film pass, 5 films for €45, is available
more credible truth of a character’s experience or directly from the IFI Box Office.
situation. The precision and efficiency with which
Bresson approached and co-ordinated every aspect
of his films makes each a concentrated experience
that is nonetheless rich in resonance and metaphor
beyond the ostensible subject matter.
ANGELS conventional film, nonetheless contains
thematic concerns that would take on
OF SIN greater prominence throughout his later
work. In a Dominican convent whose
members are dedicated to helping
women adjust following their release
from prison, novice Anne-Marie (Renée
TUES 2ND (18.30) Faure) takes under her wing Thérèse
(Jany Holt), who, unbeknownst to the
(LES ANGES DU PÉCHÉ) young nun, has murdered the man she
Bresson’s first experience as director believed responsible for her unwarranted
FILM INFO: came when making his only short film, incarceration. In its study of the complex
80 mins, France, 1943, 35mm, the perhaps unexpectedly comedic interplay between conscience and faith,
Subtitled, Black and White Affaires Publiques (1934). Nine years the film makes for a fascinating parable.
later, he began his career proper with
his first feature, Angels of Sin, which,
although generally considered his most
12ROBERT BRESSON
LES DAMES relationship by feigning disinterest,
believing that this will inspire him to
DU BOIS DE fight for her affection. To her horror, this
backfires when Jean, with relief and
BOULOGNE enthusiasm, agrees that he only wishes
to continue as friends. Her plan for
vengeance involves manipulating Jean
SAT 6TH (16.00) to fall in love with and marry Agnès
(Elina Labourdette), a former prostitute,
FILM INFO: believing that the ensuing scandal will
Bresson’s second film, featuring bring about Jean’s ruin. Ultimately,
83 mins, France, 1945, 35mm,
Subtitled, Black and White dialogue by Jean Cocteau, marked Bresson posits that the redemptive
the last time he worked solely with a power of love can overcome the darkest
cast of professional actors. Hélène of motivations.
(María Casares), fearing that lover Jean
(Paul Bernard) is cooling in his ardour,
attempts to rekindle the flame of their
DIARY OF A an idealistic young man on his first
assignment. Rather than receiving
COUNTRY a warm welcome from his new
PRIEST parishioners, he is met with suspicion
and contempt, borne at least in part of
a zealous commitment to his vocation
and dedication to his faith that is
SUN 7TH (16.00) reflected in his ascetic lifestyle. Tested
at every turn, the film observes how
(JOURNAL D’UN CURÉ DE this man’s spiritual ideals offer comfort
A creative turning point in the director’s in a cruel world that seems to provide
CAMPAGNE) career, Diary of a Country Priest little in the way of grace.
FILM INFO: sees the emergence of what is now
115 mins, France, 1951, Digital, identifiable as the Bressonian style
Subtitled, Black and White in its use of voiceover, sound, editing,
and his first ‘actor-model’, Claude
Laydu. Laydu plays the titular priest,
A MAN despite the rigour of his filmmaking
style, Bresson’s work was nevertheless
ESCAPED deeply personal in its subject matter.
A film about hope and perseverance in
the face of despair, Fontaine (François
Leterrier) is the man who must either
accept his imprisonment and its
TUES 9TH (18.15) inevitable outcome or find a way to save
himself. The visual supersedes the verbal
(UN CONDAMNÉ À MORT in a sparse yet intimate film, and Bresson
A Man Escaped is based on the memoirs proves a master at creating suspense
S’EST ÉCHAPPÉ OU LE of André Devigny, a member of the
VENT SOUFFLE OÙ IL VEUT) from the simplest of materials.
French Resistance who broke free from
FILM INFO: Montluc prison. As Bresson himself had
101 mins, France, 1956, 35mm, been imprisoned by the Nazis for being
Subtitled, Black and White part of the Resistance, the film can be
seen as yet another example of how,
13ROBERT BRESSON
PICKPOCKET to provide a regular stream of income,
despite his obvious abilities to source
a livelihood through more legitimate
means. He is encouraged by Jeanne
(Marika Green), a friend’s lover, to
visit his poor and ailing mother
more regularly, but refuses. He is
SAT 13TH (16.00) also pursued by a police inspector
determined to punish him for his
FILM INFO: crimes. Michel is a character conflicted
Bresson’s first original screenplay between his determination to live
76 mins, France, 1959, 35mm,
Subtitled, Black and White concerns Michel (Martin LaSalle), outside societal laws and morality
who, on realising the pleasure he and his desire to assimilate these
derives from his initially clumsy very values and integrate into the
acts of stealing, falls in with a group broader community.
of more experienced petty thieves,
quickly acquiring the skills necessary
THE TRIAL of institutions when threatened, and
of the refusal or inability of individuals
OF JOAN OF ARC to recognise the existence of genuine
grace and faith when it presents
itself. In contrast to what he called the
“grotesque buffooneries” of Dreyer’s
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928),
SUN 14TH (16.00) this is a more austere retelling of
events, with Florence Delay in the
(PROCÈS DE JEANNE D’ARC) lead role in particular offering a more
With dialogue culled entirely from subdued, though no less powerful,
FILM INFO: contemporaneous transcripts of Joan’s portrayal than that of Maria Falconetti
65 mins, France, 1962, Digital, trial itself, Bresson’s film operates in the earlier film.
Subtitled, Black and White on one level as a simple but gripping
courtroom drama. However, given the
nature of the material, it may also be
seen as an indictment of the corruption
AU HASARD Priest in its focus on a figure who is
subject to abasement at the whims of
BALTHAZAR practically all he meets, Balthazar’s
suffering is mirrored by that of his
first owner, farmer’s daughter Marie
(Anne Wiazemsky, making her screen
debut), who must undergo her own
TUES 16TH (18.20) trials and tribulations at the hands of
others. The film is filled with allusions to
FILM INFO: Christianity, many of which are open to
Subject matter as seemingly numerous possible interpretations, not
96 mins, France-Sweden, 1966,
35mm, Subtitled, Black and White unpromising as the life of a donkey from least in its deeply moving final scene.
birth to death in fact offered Bresson
the opportunity to explore the broad
canvas of human cruelty and the rarity
of kindness, altruism, and self-sacrifice.
Reminiscent of Diary of a Country
14MOUCHETTE Living with her alcoholic father and
bedridden mother, Mouchette (Nadine
Nortier) must care for her infant brother
and the household. Shunned by her
classmates and scorned by her teacher,
she takes solace in nature. Following a
sexual assault at the hands of a poacher
SAT 20TH (16.00) who wishes to use her for an alibi, she
makes a final decision that, although
FILM INFO: ambiguous in its depiction, seems to
Bresson’s second adaptation of a novel point to the hollowness of the belief
81 mins, France, 1967, 35mm,
Subtitled, Black and White by Georges Bernanos (the other being in a better life to come.
Diary of a Country Priest), Mouchette is
a bleak coming-of-age tale in which a
young girl already burdened with too
many responsibilities realises that
adulthood will offer her no respite.
A GENTLE leaping from her apartment balcony
to her death. Her husband Luc (Guy
WOMAN Frangin), a pawnbroker, tries to
understand what motivated her to
commit suicide by recounting the tale
of their courtship and marriage to their
maid, Anna (Jeanne Lobre). Although
SUN 21ST (16.00) the narrative perspective does not shift
from that of the husband, Bresson’s
(UNE FEMME DOUCE) camera allows us to see the details
Bresson’s first film in colour, adapted the character missed, indicating a
FILM INFO: from a short story by Dostoyevsky, disconnect between the couple that
88 mins, France, 1969, is here presented in a new digital reflects the director’s greater concern
Digital, Subtitled restoration. It begins with Elle with the detachment between the
(Dominique Sanda’s film debut, spiritual and the material.
although she, like Anne Wiazemsky,
would go on to an illustrious career)
FOUR NIGHTS name. Young artist Jacques (Guillaume
des Forêts) encounters Marthe (Isabelle
OF A DREAMER Weingarten), who is about to jump from
Paris’s Pont Neuf. It is revealed that
Marthe had been driven to despair on
discovering that her lover had returned
to Paris and made no effort to contact
TUES 23RD (18.20) her. Jacques arranges to meet her over
the following nights, after which time
(QUATRE NUITS D’UN the two profess their feelings for each
Bresson began his fifth decade other. The disparity between Jacques’s
RÊVEUR) of filmmaking with another loose idealism and Marthe’s level-headedness
FILM INFO: adaptation of Dostoyevsky, this time of is resolved in a manner typical of
87 mins, France-Italy, 1971, his short story White Nights, previously the director.
Digital, Subtitled adapted for the screen by Luchino
Visconti in his 1957 film of the same
15ROBERT BRESSON
LANCELOT to Camelot following the failure of
their quest for the Holy Grail, they are
DU LAC presented as bitter and disappointed
rather than noble or heroic. The reunion
of Queen Guinevere (Laura Duke
Condominas) and her lover Sir Lancelot
(Luc Simon) proves disappointing when
SAT 27TH (15.30) he reveals he has sworn an oath to end
their adulterous affair, believing his
FILM INFO: recent failure to be God’s punishment
Bresson’s rendering of Arthurian for his misdeeds. However, the rumours
83 mins, France-Italy, 1974,
Digital, Subtitled legend is, despite the romantic regarding the two spread by Mordred
potential of the material, a typically (Patrick Bernhard) ultimately lead to a
spare and unflinching look at the more earthly form of retribution.
dichotomy between the individual’s
best and worst behaviours. As the
Knights of the Round Table return
THE DEVIL, and unstoppable path towards its
own destruction. Despite the bonds
PROBABLY he shares with friends and lovers, he
is unable to take solace from them,
nor from religion or psychoanalysis.
Bresson’s pessimistic depiction of the
disillusionment of a generation of young
SUN 28TH (16.00) intellectuals searching for meaning
resonates today, particularly in the light
(LE DIABLE of their fledgling concerns about the
When the body of a young man is found environmental changes wrought upon
PROBABLEMENT) in Paris, there are conflicting reports the planet, making for a film that retains
FILM INFO: as to whether it was murder or suicide. its power to unsettle.
96 mins, France, 1977, 35mm, In flashback, the final six months in the
Subtitled life of the deceased, Charles (Antoine
Monnier), are recounted. Charles
feels that humanity is on a self-made
L’ARGENT disastrous consequences for a group
of connected individuals when a forged
500 Franc note circulates amongst them,
initially as a prank. Hapless deliveryman
Yvon (Christian Patey) unwittingly
attempts to use it in a restaurant where
the forgery is discovered, leading to his
TUES 30TH (18.30) imprisonment. His determination to
exact revenge sets in motion a further
FILM INFO: chain of events that leads to a downbeat
Bresson’s final film is perhaps his most and uncompromising ending that
84 mins, France-Switzerland,
1983, 35mm, Subtitled overt tract warning of the lures of serves as a fitting close to a remarkable
money and materialism, questioning the body of work.
concepts of conscience and corruption,
and innocence and guilt in a society
motivated by greed. Based on Tolstoy’s
novella The Forged Coupon, it follows the
16FROM THE
VAULTS
THE LAST OF
THE HIGH KINGS
MON 8TH (18.30)
DIRECTOR: Set in 1977 Dublin, and based on the played with gusto by Catherine O’Hara.
David Keating popular novel by Ferdia Mac Anna, The He is mentored in life skills by his visiting
FILM INFO: Last of the High Kings features a young American cousin (Christina Ricci) who
102 mins, Ireland, 1996, 35mm Jared Leto as Frankie Griffin, a fun-loving teaches him the value of following his
Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn teenager who, in his post-Leaving Cert own dreams. Stephen Rea, Gabriel
summer of uncertainty, just wants to Byrne, and Colm Meaney join this stellar
hang out with his friends, listen to Thin young cast in director David Keating’s
Lizzy and win the attention of local well-observed, often hilarious portrait of
women. Top of his list are Protestants rudderless youth.
Romy Thomas (Emily Mortimer) and
The screening will be her friend Jayne Wayne (Lorraine
introduced by writer Ferdia Pilkington), much to the annoyance of
Mac Anna.
his highly-political republican mother,
BRIEF
ENCOUNTERS
BETWEEN
STRUCTURE Portrait of a Stone
AND AGENCY
WED 31ST (18.30)
EVENT INFO: This programme of experimental short Sharon Whooley’s Distance (2018),
65 mins, Ireland, 2011-2018, Digital works examines different facets or Doireann O’Malley’s A dream of becoming
Notes by Alice Butler
experiences of agency to consider 24 eyes, 4 parallel brains & 360 vision
what occurs when it is compromised, (2014) and Ronan McCrea’s
reclaimed, expanded or channelled Autodidact (2011).
elsewhere. The programme looks
particularly, but not exclusively, at the This programme, curated by Alice
role of the film protagonist and their Butler and distributed in the UK by LUX
struggle to find and maintain a fixed film distributors, is an initiative of IFI
place as cinematic subject. Recent films International, and is made possible with
by Irish artists to screen include Saoirse the generous support of the Culture
Wall’s Sticky Encounter (2016), Laura Ireland GB18 programme.
Fitzgerald’s Portrait of a Stone (2018),
17WILD
STRAWBERRIES
FISHERMAN’S
FRIENDS
FRI 26TH &
WED 31ST (11.00)
DIRECTOR: While the fish out of water trope is Wild Strawberries is our film club for over
Chris Foggin nothing new in cinema, it gets refreshed 55s. Tickets: €4.45 including regular tea/
FILM INFO: here by Daniel Mays as Danny, tough coffee before the event. If you happen to
112 mins, UK, 2019, Digital music exec extraordinaire, waylaid on a look younger, please don’t take offence if
Notes by Alicia McGivern stag weekend in a Cornish fishing village we ask your age.
and pranked into convincing the local
fishermen’s sea shanty group that they
could record a hit single.
Based on the real-life chart success
of the Port Isaac acapella group, this
heartfelt and upbeat film is sure to get
your feet tapping.
FEAST
YOUR EYES
VITA AND
VIRGINIA
WED 10TH (18.30)
DIRECTOR: July’s pairing of a new release and a intoxicating relationship which flourished
Chanya Button specially devised main course menu will within the sexually-liberated Bloomsbury
FILM INFO: be Chanya Button’s Vita and Virginia, Set, provoking the opprobrium of their
110 mins, Ireland-UK, 2019, Digital followed by a specially created main husbands and Vita’s overbearing mother
Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn course in the IFI Café Bar. (Isabella Rossellini). Debicki and Arterton
create fully-fleshed opposites in this
Vita and Virginia details the intimate meticulously designed period drama
relationship between literary trailblazer with a refreshingly modern score.
Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki) and her
muse, the novelist and poet Vita Sackville- Tickets €21, free list suspended.
West (Gemma Arterton). Drawing on
their passionate correspondence, the
film celebrates the unconventional and
18PAVAROTTI
+ SATELLITE
Q&A
SAT 13TH (19.00)
DIRECTOR: The 1990 World Cup in Italy was the iconic public persona to reveal the
Ron Howard moment opera left the elite and hit private man. With unique access to the
FILM INFO: the masses. Luciano Pavarotti, José Pavarotti family archives and extensive
170 mins, UK-USA, 2019, Digital Carreras and Plácido Domingo’s powerful live music footage, we see Pavarotti’s
rendition of Nessun Dorma lives on as personal story emerge from his humble
one of the most popular and famous beginnings in Northern Italy through to
pieces of music ever, and Pavarotti global superstardom.
realised his long-held dream of bringing
opera into the mainstream. Tickets €12.
Oscar-winning director Ron Howard
takes an intimate approach in telling
Pavarotti’s story, going beyond the
THE COLD
BLUE
THURS 4TH (18.30)
DIRECTOR: The Cold Blue is a new feature-length and minus 60-degree temperatures.
Erik Nelson film, digitally restored, constructed from All the odds were stacked against
FILM INFO: the material of 34 reels of raw colour returning home alive.
102 mins, USA, 2018, Digital footage shot during bombing missions
in Germany. This footage allows the audience to fly
alongside the last surviving heroes who
Captured by William Wyler, it was flew, who fought and who risked their
originally shot for the 1944 documentary lives. This event will be paired with an
The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying exclusive behind the scenes look at the
Fortress. This extraordinary, never- making of The Cold Blue.
before-seen material puts you
30,000 feet over Nazi Germany,
battling killer flak, enemy fighters,
19THE BIGGER
PICTURE
IRIS
MON 15TH (18.30)
DIRECTOR: On the actual centenary of her birth, the years when her brilliant mind was
Richard Eyre great Dublin-born writer and philosopher tormented by Alzheimer’s.
FILM INFO: Iris Murdoch will be commemorated
91 mins, UK-USA, 2001, Digital across the city with various events. To introduce the film, award-winning
Notes by Alicia McGivern For this month’s Bigger Picture, we concert pianist Finghin Collins will speak
are showing this moving drama, of his love of Murdoch’s novels and how
based on the biography by Murdoch’s he believes her to be one of Ireland’s
husband, John Bayley. The magnificent finest 20th century writers, deserving
performances from Judi Dench and of wide recognition and celebration.
Oscar winner Jim Broadbent capture the
complexity of the author, from student
days through to her long relationship
with Bayley, and the harrowing later
IFI FAMILY
FESTIVAL
2019
Storm Boy
JULY 26TH – 28TH
Spread your film wings this summer with Biodiversity and conservation play a
our great IFI Family Festival programme. part too, in our rainforest-set minibeast
Stop off in Japan for a brand new anime, opening film and Sunday’s closing film.
or touch down in the wilds of Australia; With Irish premieres and big screen
root for Sune in Sweden, or for feisty escapades, whatever the weather, you
Ladhaki girl Chuskit in India. can see the world this July at IFI.
However different the setting, many of Tickets cost €5.50 per person
the films we’ve chosen share a common per film, with a family ticket (2 adults,
theme of characters trying to find their 2 children / 1 adult, 3 children) available
own way against family traditions. for just €16.50. For full details, see our
separate brochure or log on to
www.ifi.ie/familyfest.
20K!
!
CLIC
CLICK!
B O O M
FOR EVENTS IN THE CITY,
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
AND EVERYTHING
WE CHAMPION.
VISIT TOTALLYDUBLIN.IE
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