Hidden gems
As the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival gets ready to kick-off on February 20, we asked festival director Gráinne Humphreys (right) to pick out some unheralded titles deserving of our attention
Yuli (Feb 24) & The White Crow (March 1)
I’m going to start off with two movies linked by dance. In the first, Paul Laverty, who works predominantly with Ken Loach, has taken the story of Carlos Acosta, the boy who grew up on the streets of Havana and became a worldwide dancing success. The other one is very different. Directed by Ralph Fiennes, it tells the story of those tense few days in Paris when a young Rudolf Nureyev first decided to defect to the west. It’s a study of a charismatic, talented but troubled genius.
Shooting The Mafia (March 2)
I love this one: it’s the new film from British documentary maker, Kim Longinotto. In keeping with much of her work, it focuses on an interesting woman. In this case, it’s spectacular photographer Letizia Battaglia who has spent the last 30 years shooting the handwork of the Sicilian mafia in Palermo. This one was funded by Screen Ireland. Letizia herself will attend the festival.
Ruben Brandt, Collector (March 2)
This Hungarian/Polish co-production is one of those proper Festival films that are discovered and adored. Think Lucy meets Ocean’s 11. It’s a mad story about a guy who is haunted by dreams that are influenced by famous art works. He engages in art heists in order to quell the nightmares. It really pushes boundaries in the way it tackles its subject. I know it’s not going to get a general release, so if you see it in the festival, it’s one of those you can boast about having seen for years!
Dirty God (March 3)
This is an Irish co-production from Dutch director Sacha Polak. It’s about a woman whose face is dramatically disfigured following an acid attack. It’s a subject that I find difficult and it seems low-key and almost a subject for television, but the way Sacha has told her story is brilliant, and lead actress Vicky Knight was herself a victim of an acid attack. Don’t let the difficult topic put you off.
Up The Mountain (Feb 26)
Finally, I have to mention the Chinese season. If you lived in the Light House Cinema in the ’90s, you’ll have watched all of those Fifth Generation film-makers. Obviously Zhang Yimou’s epic Shadow is a big draw, but I’d point to Up The Mountain, a beautiful little documentary about an art teacher in rural China and the women he helps grow and develop as artists. Directed by Zhang Yang, it draws you in with its leisurely pacing.