CinÉireann / April 2018 19
When in Rome....
Dispatches from the 11th Irish Film Festa Roma
There’s something delightfully surreal about walking into the main theatre of the Casa del Cinema in Rome.
A large, modern arthouse cinema, situated in the middle of one of Rome’s largest public parks, Villa Borghese, the Casa del Cinema hosts the annual Irish Film Festa Roma, Italy’s only dedicated Irish Film Festival. It’s a wonderful venue and its surroundings provide a delightful backdrop for the sight of hundreds of Italian cineastes, eagerly queueing up to take in some of the best in new Irish Cinema.
Inside the building, and just before the main theatre, there is a large, open space where cinema-goers congregate before screenings. What makes it a slightly surreal occasion is that upon entering you find yourself under the watchful gaze of a formidable cross-section of Irish Cinema. Impressive black and white framed portraits of everyone from Lelia Doolan, Bob Quinn, Fionnula Flanagan and Jim Sheridan and onto Martin McCann, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Moe Dunford, and many more, cover the room’s walls. It’s hard not to feel that they are looking directly at you or, in the case of Terry McMahon’s picture (which for some reason seems to be a photo of him in front of a photo of a boat), possibly staring directly into your soul.
As a spectacle it’s at once slightly strange (and not just McMahon’s eyes somehow trailing you around the room, like a demented Captain Birdseye) but also incredibly welcoming, conveying not just a knowledge or awareness of the Irish Film Industry at large, but a very real affection and appreciation for the people who make it all happen. That these are all past attendees of the festival speaks volumes of the festival and the genuine passion its organisers hold for Irish Cinema.
Now in its 11th year, Irish Film Festa Roma is a grassroots institution built entirely upon a deep love of Irish Cinema.The festival is the brainchild of Susanna Pellis, a film critic, lecturer in film at Rome’s La Sapienza University, author of A Brief History of Irish Cinema and, according to her twitter bio, a former footballer turned boxer. That last part is unsurprising given the energy, enthusiasm and ‘never-say-die’ attitude required to run an event of this type, let alone one which aspires to be more than the random overview of new Irish Cinema that such festivals can often become. Indeed the curated films and events on display comprise a rich and detailed interrogation of the state of Irish Cinema, encompassing both industry-produced and more independent work from the entire island of Ireland. The latter is
Words: Gar O'Brien