Get Your Eire Up at Bangkok’s 1st Irish Film Fest

'Sing Street'

BANGKOK — Few can mix maudlin, drama and romance like the Irish, and next month sees a slate of films showing off the Emerald Island’s rich landscapes, culture and history.

The inaugural Irish Film Festival will show three films – two classics and something new – over three days at an alternative cinema at an event organized by the Embassy of Ireland.

Take a musical trip to 1980s Dublin through the coming-of-age tale “Sing Street” (2016) about a schoolboy whose family struggles land him in a public school where he forms a rock band to impress a girl – and discover himself. The movie received positive acclaim worldwide.

The event’s spotlight goes to “The Quiet Man,” a Hollywood production shot on location in Ireland. The 1952 technicolor rom-dram features Irish-American icon John Wayne as a retired boxer who returns home and romances Maureen O’Hara. It ends with a glorious display of fisticuffs and went on to win Academy Awards for its directing and cinematography.

Advertisement

Clocking in at 3.5 hours, the bittersweet epic “Ryan’s Daughter” is a thing keen cinephiles shouldn’t miss. In an isolated Irish village, married woman Rosy Ryan has an affair with a British soldier, which wins the scorn of her nationalist neighbors. It won Oscars for best supporting actor and cinematography. The film was directed by David Lean, who is most known for his “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Doctor Zhivago.”

All films are screened in English with Thai subtitle. Schedule is available online. Ticket is 120 baht for adults and 90 baht for children.

The festival runs Oct. 6 through Oct. 8 at the Bangkok Screening Room on Soi Saladaeng 1. It can be reached on foot from BTS Sala Daeng exit No. 4 or MRT Lumphini’s exit No. 2.

Advertisement