This screening will be introduced by writer/director Paul Duane, and composer Ian Lynch.
Anna and Aleks are song collectors – tracking down and recording obscure Irish folk songs to sell them to a network of rich collectors. Via their mysterious ‘mentor’ Agnes, they hear about a woman, Rita, who is rumoured to have songs that have never been recorded.
They track her down in the remote Irish countryside but find that Agnes has beaten them to it. But Rita refuses to sing for her. Anna gains her trust by unplugging her hidden recording device, and Rita sings a ballad in an ancient tongue that has been passed down from mother to daughter in her family, telling the story of an ancient atrocity… They leave, but Agnes has surreptitiously recorded the song, setting in motion a series of increasingly sinister events.
Writer and director Paul Duane’s gonzo new film firmly belongs in the grand tradition of ‘folk horror’ movies, that said it pretty much defies description – save to say that you won’t see anything quite like it again anytime soon. Driven by a suitably atmospheric score by Lankum’s Ian Lynch, and with a cast that includes a memorable appearance from acting legend Olwen Fouéré, it’s an instant cult classic (2024, Ireland, 90 mins)
“Duane, already an established documentarian, has made the sort of fiction debut that will haunt your nightmares.” The Guardian
