New Irish Shorts – Programme #2
Fractures and crossroads run through this programme about history and
identity. The past bleeds through and muddies the self in tales of
buildings, photographers and pop singers, whereas the Internet infects
and alters the societal expectations of tourist traps, outdated
messaging boards and same-day deliveries.
The Building Is Not Empty
Dir. Dara Oliver, 11mins
A film crew’s arrival in the historic Riddel’s Warehouse awakens the sleeping soul of the building, unlocking the past and releasing the spirits and stories of those who have passed through. A sharply written and thoughtfully composed journey through the echoes of history.
Manraywomanray
Dir. Matthew Hardy, 3mins
An essay on fragments/a fragmented tribute to the photographer/rayographer Man Ray. This audacious/ insightful/incisive short captures the spirit of the man/his work with striking beauty and brevity.
Charity!
Dir. Stephen T. Lally, 15mins
Sensitive singer/songwriter Bridget is churned through the capitalist machine and becomes CHARITY: a Y2K Pop Princess with a capital P. When she tries to break free from the suffocation of fame and fortune, she is subjected to a surreal odyssey of boy bands, body horror and banging tunes.
Bailey.Banshee
Dir. Jack Warren, 7mins
Trans YouTuber Bailey leaves America for Ireland, but as she documents her new life in Dublin, strange happenings occur in the background. The evil tourist simulacra of Temple Bar on St. Patrick’s Day provides the backdrop for this uncanny odyssey into the dark heart of the Fair City.
Piggy
Dir. Lisa Freeman, 5mins
A spoken word meditation on our current culture of convenience and exploitation. Repeated images of racetrack greyhounds and Porky Pig echo and fragment across the screen, distorting our perception of the images and even our understanding of ‘sameday delivery.’
Log Off, Loser!
Dir. Heath Virgoe, 11mins
Schoolboy Noah finds liberation in the simulation, expressing through an online avatar what he is unable to in real life. This visually inventive and wholesome coming-of-age story harks back to a time when the World Wide Web was still a place for excitement and exploration.
Serenade
Dir. Fergus Boylan, 2mins
A lonely civil servant gets a visit from a crooning cowboy in this brief but beautiful animation ruminating on longing and love songs.