The Meeting

Cert: 15A; Now showing

The Meeting is unlike any film I have ever seen. It is unique, remarkable, harrowing, moving and incredibly powerful, a must-see for anyone who has ever suffered violence or abuse, or who knows anyone who has. It is a difficult watch, but it is ultimately healing and uplifting.

In 2004, Ailbhe Griffith was walking home. She knew there was a man behind her, and felt fear that most women, and some men, have felt. For Ailbhe, the fear became a nightmare and she was subjected to a prolonged violent sexual assault. The man was caught, successfully prosecuted, he went to jail and Ailbhe did her best to get on with a life that had been forever changed. Part of what she felt she needed was to meet her attacker and, with the help of restorative justice therapist, Dr Marie Keenan, that meeting took place nine years after the assault.

In Alan Gilsenan’s film, Ailbhe Griffith plays herself, as does Dr Keenan, and Terry O’Neill is excellent as the man who committed the attack. The 80 minutes begin with a harrowing recollection of the events, then moves to the meeting. Civilised, unsentimental but incredibly powerful, it offers huge insight into the effects of the attack, on both parties. It is about justice and not vengeance, and a testimony to the power of good therapy. And Ailbhe Griffith is a most extraordinary woman.

For details of screenings and Q&A sessions, see www.themeetingfilm.com

AINE O'CONNOR