Film festival co-founded by Birr men to celebrate best of Irish contemporary music in Berlin

After its successful debut last year, Irish Film Berlin returns with Irish Music on Screen on St Patrick’s Day Eve at Babylon. This new showcase of Irish screen creativity was co-founded by Director of Birr’s European Tech Hub Denis Madden, Director of Birr’s OFFline Film Festival. Gary Hoctor, in 2023.

This special curation, by OFFline Film Festival, celebrates the best of Irish contemporary music on film throughout the day and into the night on Saturday, March 16 at Babylon, the famous Berlin arthouse cinema.

The four films on the programme will honour Irish music icons Sinéad O’Connor and Shane MacGowan, host a German premiere of The Camino Voyage and explore the rich musical landscape of Dublin’s North Inner City.

“We are so excited to announce two film events this year in Germany. Our upcoming Irish Music on Screen event on March 16th is a delight but also bittersweet as we mark the loss of great Irish musicians with three of the films selected. Personally, these were some of the feisty rebels that accompanied my youth and their music feels just as relevant and fresh,” said co-founder of Irish Film Berlin, Denis Madden.

“We were challenged to select just four films but our concept is a one-day event, starting more quietly and ending with a bang followed by a live music after-party before midnight. Very Berlin! Our three-day festival in May, in contrast, will be an eclectic mix of new Irish features and shorts, live-action and documentaries. This year, we are also absolutely thrilled to be part of the Zeitgeist Irland 24 programme, to be an official Irish Film Institute International partner and to receive funding through Screen Ireland for the first time.”

Speaking ahead of the event, Director of OFFline Film Festival, Gary Hoctor, said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating and curating events again for Irish Film Berlin in 2024. Irish Music on Screen will be the perfect curtain raiser for our main three-day festival at the end of May. The Camino Voyage will have its German premiere on March 16 and we are very excited to screen another Irish language film on the big screen in Berlin, after the success of The Quiet Girl last year.

“Irish film continues to shine bright on the global stage this year and we are delighted to be able to continue to highlight the incredible work of Irish filmmakers, films focusing on Irish talent and to provide another platform for Irish film in Berlin.”

Programme

14:00 North Circular

Directed by Luke McManus, North Circular is a documentary musical that travels the length of Dublin's North Circular Road, from Phoenix Park to Dublin Port, exploring the history, music and streetscapes of a street that links some of the country's most beloved and infamous places. The film also includes musical performances from artists local to the North Circular, including John Francis Flynn, Séan Ó Túama, Eoghan O'Ceannabháin, Ian Lynch and Gemma Dunleavy.

16:00 The Camino Voyage ** German Premiere **

An Epic 2,600km Modern Day Celtic Odyssey

A crew including a writer, two musicians, an artist and a stonemason embark on the Camino by sea in a traditional boat that they built themselves all the way from Ireland to Northern Spain. Featuring Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, renowned Irish musician Brendan Begley, distinguished artist Liam Holden, skilled stonemason Brendan Moriarty and celebrated writer and poet Danny Sheehy (1951-2017).

18:00 Shane

A deep dive into the life of the legendary Irish singer, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of The Pogues, who famously combined traditional Irish music with the visceral energy of punk rock. Featuring unseen archival footage from the band and MacGowan's family, as well as animation from legendary illustrator Ralph Steadman, Julien Temple's love letter spotlights the iconic frontman up to his 60th birthday celebration, where singers, movie stars and rock 'n' roll outlaws gather to celebrate the man and his legacy.

20:30 Nothing Compares

At the peak of Sinéad O’Connor’s rise to worldwide fame her iconoclastic actions resulted in her exile from the pop mainstream. Focusing on her prophetic words and deeds from 1987-1993, the film by Kathyrn Ferguson, reflects on the legacy of this fearless trailblazer through a contemporary feminist lens. This archive-led documentary features era-defining music videos and concert performances alongside a range of contributions from friends and fellow artists and a wealth of previously unseen footage conjuring a vivid reminder of life in Ireland at this time. The film is underpinned by an interview with Sinéad herself, in which she reflects on her early career, her visibility and her vulnerability as a radical young woman on the world stage.

Tickets are on sale now for Irish Music on Screen from: www.babylonberlin.de and programme information at www.irishfilmberlin.ie.

Irish Music on Screen is in collaboration with the Irish Film Institute’s IFI International programme, presented as part of Zeitgeist Irland 24 (an initiative of Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland Berlin) and funded by Screen Ireland.