Mary Robinson, then chair of The Elders

WATCH OUR POLITICS CHANNEL, PEEPS, ON YOUTUBE

THE Irish Film Festival runs in the West End this week with a programme that includes an in-depth biography of Ireland’s first female president, Mary Robinson.

Festival director Michael Hayden told the Extra how Irish films had found a dedicated audience in London, but there was so much more that did not get released and the festival is an open door to explore a vast range of film-making.

He said: “We are conscious of the Irish success stories we have seen recently. In the past couple of years, we have had a strong Irish presence at the Oscars.

“There are films now that are films of the year, Kneecap, and That They May Face the Rising Sun. These are big stories and UK audiences have warmed to that. But there is a lot more work being made that does not get the publicity or distribution.

“The Irish film industry has its own flavour and culture and that can be both a strength and an issue when it comes to showing Irish films to GB audiences. Sometimes it does not translate, it is not a given.”

The festival takes over the VUE Piccadilly and runs through until Sunday night.

The Mary Robinson documentary highlights evolution in Irish society.

Festival director Michael Hayden

Mr Hayden said: “It is an intimate portrait of her life and time, and is about an elemental change that came to create a modern Ireland.”

The documentary Housewife of the Year, a TV show on RTE that ran from the 1960s to the 1990s, also discusses equality.

“They had a competition where these women would come on and show what great housewives they were. The film illustrates a feminist history of Ireland, talking about the Magdalene laundries and the abortion referendum,” said the director.

Eat/Sleep/Cheer/Repeat follows the journey of a cheerleading team from a small Galway village who travel to America to compete in a prestigious competition.

“It is an incredible trip they go on, and it is hugely entertaining,” said Mr Hayden.
Other films explore Ireland’s violent past.

In Ransom ’79 we are invited to join a community who grew up in the shadows of “The Troubles”.

It tells the story of how, in 1979, a shadowy group of criminals tried to blackmail the Irish government into handing over £5million or face the horror of foot and mouth disease spreading around the country.

Robinson is sworn in as Ireland’s first female president, 1990

Mr Hayden said: “The government had to take the threat seriously. The film follows the story of journalist Charlie Bird, who set out to uncover the truth. “It is an incredible piece of non-fiction storytelling. Charlie had motor neurone disease and died recently. This is a tribute to him.”

And the programme shows how talent can be nurtured with the right support.

He said: “There is the suggestion that Irish films punch above their weight. It is in a healthy place, there was a lot of investment. It means when Cillian Murphy wins an Oscar, it isn’t that surprising when you think of the hard work that paved the way. And there are a lot of other reasons. Irish culture celebrates storytelling.”

The boom in Irish film stems back to a decision taken in 1982 by Screen Ireland to fund films.

“Before 1982 there was no Irish film industry,” said Mr Hayden.

“This was because of a mixture of the influence of the Catholic church, the poverty many experienced, and the fact making films was just not a priority in terms of a way of telling national stories.

“It means it has a relatively recent history; but it also shows that there is no surprise Irish people win Oscars and we are producing films like Kneecap.”

Save on your cinema visit

The Irish Film Festival, London, would like to offer Westminster Extra readers a special 20 per cent discount code (Friend) for all films in the festival until November 17. Go to: https://iftuk.com/