Conversations about
Ireland nearly always evoke
positive emotions. A pint of
dark beer, friendly locals that greet you and see you off with a smile, sweet literary airs, a game of rugby at the legendary Lansdowne Road, a
lucky shamrock and malt whisky. References to its
cinema may seem a little more difficult, but it is one of many across Europe waiting to be discovered.
Little material is known beyond its borders, mainly the result of filmmakers such as
Neil Jordan ('Michael Collins') and
Jim Sheridan ('In the Name of the Father'), a group of
authorial statements that on their own do not constitute a clear picture of the state of the
Irish film industry. The greater part of the cinema of the country is unknown to a wider audience, which in no way detracts from its
quality. The reasons for this are to be found in internationalization processes. In the example of
Spain, scarce attention is given to films that are not home-grown, or are not stamped with made-in-the-United-States label. Domestic, US and commercial products are still in the driving seat.
The goal of ALCINE for its
'Irish Day' is to shine a light on the latest batch of Irish filmmakers,
to discover their best short films -an advance party could be seen in the last International Competition - and
to learn more about their cultural roots through music and film. The idea of the festival is for this brand new section to help us discover the most recent cinema of an emerging and quality industry that is barely known in Spain.
Ireland will debut this section, which will continue for many years to come.
Friday 16th of November
On
'The short's island' there will be beer, traditional Irish music, a city ready to mutate in the mind of its visitors to become a lush green valley wrapped in that sea mist so characteristic of its shores.
'Irish Day' will be the mainstay of the tribute to this cosy little country of just under six million people.
Garrett Wall and
Perry Elliot will provide distinctive melodies following the opening of the festival to the sound of the Irish bagpipes played by the
Boys of the Hills, Madrid 'boys' with Gaelic hearts. The traditional and enjoyable
Jameson Awards said their farewells to ALCINE last year. In their absence
17 Irish short films will be screened from 5 to 27 minutes long. The humour, quality and excellent acting is there for all to see and has already been on display in many a prestigious festival, such as in Galway.
'Short Shorts' will have its own space within the tribute, as will
advertising cinema and
fantasy short films, one of the most common genres among the directors. A notable extra is a feature film from the latest generation of Irish filmmakers lauded by the critics, the dramatic comedy
'Small Engine Repair' (Niall Heery, 2006). It will take part in one of ALCINE's most well-known sections,
'Open screen for new directors', but out of competition.
'Irish Day' had been set up as a unique opportunity to sample the virtues of the country from a
social/cultural point of view. The aim is also to demonstrate the fact that its film industry is on a par with a long list of Irish-born internationally renowned actors: Peter O'Toole, Brendan Glesson, Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Daniel Day-Lewis, Pierce Brosnan and the late Richard Harris.
ALCINE37 will blow away the mist obstructing the view of a lush and healthy industry, to grant it the notoriety it has long deserved.
