DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
I recently heard the travel writer Rob Crossan say that music is the most sustainable mode of travel there is. Film too has always transported us to far flung places without all of the hassles of security checks, transfers and bulky luggage. And now, more than ever, many of us are looking toward the screen as a means of escape. Running until March 14th this years Dublin International Film Festival takes place online and has a brilliantly varied and eclectic programme of screenings just waiting to transport audiences to the sort of destinations that, for now, we can only dream of visiting.
Supernova – Lake District, UK
In this touching two-hander Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci play a long-term couple, Tusker and Sam, getting to grips with Tucci’s diagnosis of early onset dementia. Heavy subject matter aside, the road trip that the couple embark on to visit family and friends shows Cumbria and the Lake District in all its autumnal glory.
Cowboys – Montana, USA
This western by director Anna Kerrigan sees Steve Zahn’s character Troy and his 11-year-old transgender son Joe become outlaws as they go on the run from Joe’s unaccepting mother. Shot against the majestic backdrop of Montana’s Flathead Valley ‘Cowboys’ is as much a homage to the wilderness of the western United States as it is a father’s love for his child
Air Conditioner – Luanda, Angola
Angolan musician Aline Frazao provides a fantastic soundtrack to this fun film set in the Angolan capital Luanda. When air conditioning units across the city start mysteriously falling from buildings it is up to security guard Matecedo, under the direction of his boss, to set out across the city to find a new unit by the end of the day.
Dreams on Fire – Tokyo, Japan
Japanese pop-icon Bambi Naka plays Yume, a young girl who runs away from home and moves to Tokyo with dreams of becoming a professional dancer. All the performers Yume comes across while exploring Tokyo’s dance scene are also all accomplished artists in real life which makes ‘Dreams on Fire’ a particularly mesmerising addition to this years festival programme.
Ebb and Flow – Sligo, Ireland
Closer to home producer Alice Ward brings the stunning landscapes of Ireland’s Atlantic coast to viewers with this female led production focussing on the relationship between three female surfers and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Ebb and Flow also shines a light on Sligo’s artistic community winding animation by contemporary artist Alice Maher and the music of local group The Hunter and Jessie Solange Whitehead.
www.discoverireland.ie/sligo/things-to-do-in-sligo
For full details on the festival and to book tickets go to – www.diff.ie