The Flats, directed by Alessandra Celesia, will make its World Premiere at CPH:DOX, one of the biggest documentary festivals in the world. This year's edition will take place from Wednesday, 13th March to Sunday, 24th March.
Directed by actor and director Alessandra Celesia, The Flats is a co-production between Ireland, France, Belgium and the UK. The film is in contention for the festival's DOX:AWARD, the main prize in the festival’s international competition
The synopsis for the film is as follows: “The Flats is set in New Lodge, a Catholic neighbourhood in the heart of Belfast violently affected by the conflict in Northern Ireland. Today it is marked by social abandonment, yet the inhabitants have a proud sense of belonging and idealism that can be found in their humanity and caustic humour. Once paramilitary foot soldiers as teenagers, the men’s lives are now undermined by disillusionment and unemployment, like Joe, tormented by restless nights and poor health. The women, however, as always, stay busy to keep the community afloat. They have had enough of the nostalgia for The Troubles.”
Producers are Jeremiah Cullinane for Planet Korda Pictures, Jean-Laurent Csinidis for Films de Force Majeure, John McIlduff for Dumbworld and Geneviève De Bauw for Thank You and Good Night Productions. The Flats is supported by Screen Ireland, Région Sud (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), Northern Ireland Screen, BFI Doc Society, La SCAM (Brouillon d’un Rêve), Eurimages, Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de Bruxelles and RTBF (Belgium).
“We’re thrilled to present this year’s competition films, which span from global geopolitics to intimate, existential queries,” commented Niklas Engstrøm, CPH:DOX’ Artistic Director. “What unites these films is their ambition to engage with the world in a meaningful way. This year’s competition sharpens its focus on the most urgent issues of our time, from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to gang violence in Sweden, exploring themes of identity politics, colonialism, and the foundational struggles for democracy and the fight against climate change. These films offer fresh perspectives, challenge aesthetic boundaries, and delve deeper into issues we thought we understood. We are delighted to unveil this programme, which promises to enlighten and inspire.”
Founded in 2003, CPH:DOX has been introducing its audience to Danish and international documentary films in Copenhagen for over 20 years. Previous Irish documentaries to have screened at the festival include Kim Longinotto’s Shooting the Mafia, Seamus Murphy’s PJ Harvey: A Dog Called Money and Sinéad O'Shea's A Mother Brings Her Son To Be Shot.
CPH:DOX 2024 will take place from Wednesday, 13th March to Sunday, 24th March. More information and tickets can be found here.
