Projects in genres: Northern Irish

Synopsis

Are there any such thing as miracles? Mickey McGuigan, a lively 73 year old farmer turned writer, has been documenting those he’s come across, along the Northern Irish border. The stories may defy logic, but people swear by them. This is a disappearing world of pagan folklore and magic. There’s a man who cures cows that suffer from ringworm, by just spitting on them and then there's a woman who can heal babies screaming with the colic by tying a piece of string. One healer has a six month waiting list because people believe he can cure anything, even cancer. A film that explores the thin line between faith and doubt.

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Cold Open is part of a series of films shot over a year, 2007 in the environs of the Waterworks (Queen Mary's Park), in north Belfast.

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On a difficult journey across the Irish Sea a woman in trouble meets a young girl in the same predicament.

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A boy wants to be a comedian but his father, a judge, is unintentionally his worst audience. He sentences himself to step into his son's shoes but they're secret shoes. A dirty sacrilegious film about comedy and love to scar your heart.

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A contemporary drama of fear, loss jealousy and rejection set in real time and filmed on 31 January and 1 February, at the time of Imbolc. They say people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime and when you know which one it is, you’ll know what to do. For Brigid Liston and her son Quinn, such a person comes in the form of American anthropologist, Janet Hattridge, on sabbatical researching her Ulster Scots roots and her family’s link to a long forgotten witch trial. As the relationship between Janet and Quinn deepens, Brigid’s mother dies. Brigid’s grief sets her on a path that ends in tragedy and as her actions unfold, the past reveals itself.

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A sympathetic but searching portrait of Frank Ryan (1902-1944) IRA activist in Ireland, International Brigade Volunteer in Spain and Nazi collaborator in Berlin. Ryan enters a Faustian pact with a Nazi regime he believes will assist in forging a united Ireland. His collaboration is justified by the republican motto: "My enemy's enemy is my friend". But the former radical and internationalist pays a heavy price for this pact. The film raises important questions about collaboration between the IRA and the Nazis in World War II. It opens up a long suppressed debate about Irish neutrality in that war. Drawing upon Ryan’s correspondence and using a rich mix of period archive combined with live action - with a striking portrayal of Frank Ryan by Dara Devaney - the film makers tell a story of tragic proportions and probe the enigma that was Frank Ryan.

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After 1968, Ulrike Meinhof and Fusako Shigenobu sought world revolution. As leaders of the Baader Meinhof Group and the Japanese Red Army, they became the most notorious 'terrorists' of their time. Journalists Bettina Röhl and May Shigenobu explore the lives of their revolutionary mothers: what were they fighting for and what have we learned?

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Eileen is a mother of two children, who are both about to fly the nest. Summer stretches out in front of the family who, except for Eileen, have plans to go abroad, to a festival, to their dad's wedding. A new relationship suddenly comes into her life, and briefly she blooms. However Bill the new boyfriend, a pot smoking ex-cricketer has his own problems. Their fling opens the door to insecurity and paranoia for Eileen, and one day under the guise of celebrating her new 'love' she has a drink. Once she starts she doesn't stop. The film treads a constant line between darkness and humour as it moves from its beginning in a sedate suburban cricket club to its conclusion at a music festival.

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An epic 12 year journey into in the world of an Irish Traveller community, Knuckle takes us inside their brutal, secretive and exhilarating bare-knuckle fighting lives.   Chronicling a history of violent feuding between rival families, the story focuses on two brothers as they fight for their reputations and the honour of their family name.

Synopsis

A father and son face off in this darkly amusing tale. The father, returning to find his son has set fire to their house, offers the boy a deal: he'll give him a 50 yard head start and he'll only put one bullet in the chamber. The son decides to negotiate.

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Des and Mo are an Irish couple who arrive in Melbourne on their second honeymoon, but their luggage doesn't arrive with them. Their troubles worsen once their bankcard is swallowed at the ATM, forcing them to stay at a hostel. When Des is charged for abuse towards airport staff and Mo is forced to pawn her wedding ring to release him, it looks like the romance is over. However it is Des and Mo's unexpected encounters that lead them to a greater adventure than they could have ever imagined. A film about love, luggage and living on the edge. Official Selection Melbourne International Film Festival 2010 Official Selection Galway Film Fleadh 2011

Synopsis

A man finds himself trapped in a labyrinth of alleyways and must navigate his way to freedom. He is accosted by strange and terrifying figures. A young heroine steps in and saves him from a Cyclops, and a large ball like object chases them along a post apocalyptic tale of being lost in time and space.