The Irish premiere of Ken Loach’s ‘Jimmy’s Hall’ took place last night at the Light House Cinema in Smithfield, Dublin. The event was attended by key cast and crew members including director Ken Loach, writer Paul Laverty, producer Rebecca O’Brien and Irish stars Barry Ward and Simone Kirby. President Michael D Higgins was also present to watch the latest work of the writer-director team behind ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’.
The film recently screened at Cannes at which it was part of the Official Selection for the prestigious film festival. The world premiere at Cannes saw Loach receive a standing ovation, and the director received the same honour at the premiere last night as the cast and crew took a bow. Lead Barry Ward, who plays the title character, said that at Cannes, “to watch it with a crowd that size was really great. There were about 2000 people, and the response was phenomenal.”
The stars and crew have travelled to Dublin to promote the film straight from Cannes, which began on the 14th May and ended only last Sunday the 25th. Ward described the events of the film festival as a “whirlwind.” Simone Kirby described the festival as “crazy, it’s three days of pure madness, like nothing else. It’s got a real classy feel to it as well.” The Cannes Film Festival also saw the film acquire a US distribution deal with Sony.
‘Jimmy’s Hall’, which was shot for seven weeks in Leitrim and Sligo, tells the true story of Jimmy Gralton, who opens a community hall where people can dance, play and learn away from the forceful influence of the Catholic Church. He would eventually be deported by Eamon de Valera for alleged communist sympathies.
A special gala fundraising screening of the film will also take place tonight at the Carrick Cineplex in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. The film is out on general release on Friday 30th May.
Keep an eye on IFTN for interviews with the film’s production designer, Fergus Clegg, as well as with Ken Loach, writer Paul Laverty and lead actors Barry Ward and Simone Kirby.
