Two Irish cultural highlights over the weekend were the launch of the first film festival for movies made in the Irish language and a sold-out short run by the Trinity Irish Dance Company. Both took place in New York.
“Welcome to America’s first Irish language film festival, in fact, the world’s first,” George Heslin executive director of The New York Irish Center,” told attendees on the second and final night, Sat., Feb. 21.
The festival is called “Fís Nua” (New Vision) and will be an annual event, produced in partnership with the government-owned Irish language television station, TG4.
Both Ireland’s Ambassador to the UN, Fergal Mythen, and Ireland’s Consul General in New York, Gerald Angley, were present on the opening night.
The festival, “reflects increased interest in Irish film, but also the Irish language in film,” Angley said. He added before the first screening, “I’m told we’ll need tissues”.
Indeed, many grown men were observed dabbing their eyes when the lights came up on “An Cailín Ciúin”. The film, meaning “The Quiet Girl,” was the first in Irish to be nominated for an Oscar.
The 2022 nomination for best foreign film might equally have been given to child actress Catherine Clinch for her portrayal of a neglected, sensitive farm girl. The beautiful and understated feature film was the directorial debut of Colm Bairéad.
"The Quiet Girl."
The festival also included children’s films, a short movie, and a sold-out documentary on the contribution of Travellers to “Sean-nós” (old style) singing. The distinctly plaintive style has unaccompanied performers sing ballads.
TIDC visits
It was a Mexican-American friend and Flamenco dancer who told me I must try and see the “amazing” Trinity Irish Dance Company in the few days before they left New York City. I admit, I was only vaguely aware of the name.
The name Trinity Irish Dance might suggest visiting dancers from Ireland, but the 35-year old company is based in Chicago and composed mostly of American dancers.
It grew out of the success Founding Artistic Director/Choreographer Mark Howard had in coaching the first American to a gold medal in the Irish dancing world championship in 1987. Others followed, making English-born Howard (to an Irish mother) a regular on “The Tonight Show.”
I expected in TIDC’s “The Sash” a performance like “Riverdance,” the runway mid-1990s success, which took liberties with traditional Irish dancing and has since been seen by more than 30 million people. The fast and furious footwork was there with “Riverdance,” as were the hip-high kicks and the energizing click clack of “rally” dancing (performed with hard shoes), but the arms were freed from their traditionally straight-jacketed position by the dancer’s side. Exhilarating.
TIDC’s more eclectic show had some such numbers, including some performed in traditional Irish costumes, and these received the greatest applause. Very unusually for any performance, 10 people were observed leaving at intermission. One of the couples, who preferred not to be named, confirmed my hunch. “I thought it would be more like ‘Riverdance,’” the wife said.
“I didn’t like the politics or the musicians on stage,” the husband added. This reviewer agreed that the talent of the 16 excellent dancers might have been better packaged. A song dedicated to someone who “fought the Nazis,” a voice-over about “rules raining down,” were among program additions that felt like detractions. And modern costumes that looked like mechanics’ outfits and obscured the dancers’ bodies seemed to be trying too hard to be different.
The dancers triumphed in high-energy, propulsive numbers, in which they often used their bodies for percussion. There were also comedic touches--and a sweet touch added by guest dancers, aged 8 to 13, from New York Irish-dancing schools.
Upcoming performances by TIDC in Chicago include one on Feb. 28 and another on April 19. Tickets on the TIDC website here.
