RTÉ are to celebrate Ireland’s contribution to the world of cinema next week as they will showcase several classic Irish films along with documentaries and movie-related items on Irish cinema.
RTÉ will begin the week-long celebration on Monday night with the documentary ‘See You at the Pictures!’; a documentary that gives audiences an insight into Ireland’s love affair with cinema. From the birth of the nation, right through to the dominance of censorship in the 1950s and 1960s, the documentary examines specific periods of Irish cinema history through the eyes of ordinary cinemagoers and industry figures alike. The documentary airs on Monday at 21:30 on RTÉ One.
Also scheduled for Monday night is ‘A Bit of Fillum – Ryan’s Daughter in Dingle’, a documentary that focuses on legendary director David Lean’s visit to Ireland where he shot the seminal film ‘Ryan’s Daughter’. The documentary provides us with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage of the film and examines the impact the making of the film had on Dingle ever since its original release.
Panned by critics on its release, the film went on the win two Oscars: one for cinematography and another for acting. Interestingly, the film has experienced a critical and cultural revival in recent years and is now seen as Lean’s most underrated and misunderstood masterpieces. The documentary airs at 23:30 on RTÉ One.
Jim Sheridan’s engaging adaptation of John B. Keane’s ‘The Field’, starring legendary Irish actor Richard Harris as ‘The Bull McCabe’ will be shown on RTÉ One on Tuesday at 23:30. The following night, ‘Stella Days’ airs on RTÉ One at 21:35, with Martin Sheen starring as a priest in this tale about a small cinema in rural Ireland that becomes the setting for a dramatic struggle between faith and passion, and a man and his conscience.
RTÉ One will show another two documentaries on Thursday night. The first is ‘Hell’s Kitchen to Hollywood’ (22:15), which has John Kelly taking a journey to the US to tell the story of Irish-American actors and directors in the Golden Age of Cinema – Crosby, Kelly, Ford, McCarey – and how their achievements helped form the unique Irish-American identity in the States. The second documentary ‘John Huston: An American in Galway’ (23:45), gives us an insight into the legendary American director who became an Irish citizen in 1964 and spent many years living in his beloved Galway.
The ‘Ireland at the Movies’ week will conclude on Friday night with a screening of Lenny Abrahamson’s dark comedy ‘Adam & Paul on RTÉ Two at 21:10 and a screening of Jim Sheridan’s multi-award winning powerful biopic ‘My Left Foot’ on RTÉ One at 23:55.
