July 6, 2010
The paparazzi stand in the corners of the theater, snapping photos of moviegoers. The writer, producers, and actors all sit in the audience for the film’s premiere. Our group of 23 fills an entire row in the surprisingly small theater in the Town Hall Theatre’s Main Auditorium.
This is the Galway Film Fleadh (pronounced flah), Ireland’s leading film festival now in its 22nd year. Since one of the classes offered during this program is a study of Irish films, the Fleadh is obviously an important part of the course; some of those students are watching up to four movies a day. But since that’s a bit much for me, I’ve only purchased four extra tickets.
The opening night as quite an experience because I’ve never been to any type of film event where the creators are present. I don’t think that it was the premiere of “My Brothers,” but the film was outstanding. Three brothers journey to recover a watch for their dying father, and along the way, they encounter emotional experiences that draw them apart but ultimately strengthen their relationship. The two young brothers had never acted before, but their inherent talent made their characters shine. It’s one of those movies that I wish I could buy.
The film was followed by a reception – but the small boathouse was so cramped that it took away from what should have been an intimate feeling. Instead we tried to balance wine glasses and heavy plates with light tapas on our raincoat-laden arms; luckily, no casualties. But overall, I’m so glad that I got to see a taste of the film festival culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment