Ciara Moynihan
The fourth annual Clare Island Film Festival takes place this weekend, September 16 to 18, and this year’s free screenings will include two award-winning films, the Irish documentary ‘Atlantic’ and the Icelandic film ‘Rams’.
Atlantic, which will be shown on Friday night at 8pm in the Community Centre, follows the fortunes of three small fishing communities in Ireland, Norway and Newfoundland. It bringing to the fore three very intimate stories from the global resource debate.
Filmed in some of the most remote and breathtaking locations in the North Atlantic, and at close quarters with some of the sea’s most captivating characters, Atlantic explores how modern-day communities must learn from the past in order to secure a brighter future.
On Saturday evening at 8pm, ‘Rams’ will be screened in the Bard Rooms. Brothers Gummi and Kiddi, sheep farmers in the starkly beautiful Icelandic countryside, haven’t spoken in 40 years. Neighbours in a small community, they are rivals in all things, especially the annual hotly contested competition for best ram in the valley.
Life is far from easy; the community lives in constant fear of the dreaded scrapie disease appearing in their flock, which if detected could destroy their livelihoods forever. When Gummi suspects the illness has infiltrated Kiddi’s herd, he is forced to choose between what he knows is the correct course of action, and his familial ties, however deeply repressed.
Featuring two superbly expressive, largely non-verbal performances from its lead actors, ‘Rams’ is an acutely observed humanist fable that comes laced with an agreeably astringent sense of humour.
“Beyond farming, there is something special about sheep,” says writer-director Grímur Hákonarson, adding: “Most farmers I know have a stronger connection to sheep than to other domesticated animals.”
There will also be lots of interesting short films being screened in the Bard Room from 2pm on both the Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit www.clareislandfilmfestival.com, or find the festivsl on Facebook. All screenings are free.
