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Sunday, Apr 26, 2009 3:00 PM
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Ticket Availability
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Director Neasa Ní Chianáin first encounters legendary Irish Poet Cathal O Searcaigh as a student in awe of him. Years later, the two are now friends and the poet invites her to accompany him on his annual three month visit to Nepal, which he considers his spiritual home. O Searcaigh, a middle-aged openly gay man, is keen to share his life in the capital city of Kathmandu, and show all his charitable work supporting a whole legion of young Nepalese boys. What starts out simply as a tribute to this seemingly altruistic, generous man that villagers treat as some sort of a deity turns into a totally different story. As the truth begins to reveal itself, the director starts to realize that she has been naïve to the fact that the poet’s attention to the boys is far from innocent. Admiration turns to dismay and anger, fuelled by O Searcaigh’s denials when confronted with the discoveries, and ultimately it is he that claims betrayal and not the boys or the filmmaker. Sensitively shot, this superb documentary with its totally unexpected curve is highly emotional, and even blood curdling at times. Whatever one’s opinion of O Searcaigh is, his story is totally compelling, completely riveting and makes fascinating viewing that shouldn’t be missed. Ultimately, we are reminded of what we’ve always known: Not every fairytale has a happily-ever–after ending. In English, Gaelic, and Nepalese with English subtitles.
— Roger Walker-Dack
Preceded by: James , Dir. Connor Clements, Northern Ireland, 2008, video, 18 min. James is a young man who struggles with his identity in the face of his father’s cruelty and his mother’s indifference. He is also an outsider at school, and so when his teacher shows an interest in connecting with him, James puts all his cards on the table. Beautifully rendered and tragic, the film touches on important lessons to learn: who to trust and what to tell.
Neasa Ní Chianáin was trained at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, and after graduating, she moved to New York where she worked as a textile designer. Neasa started directing documentaries in 2001 with No Man’s Land, a critically acclaimed film about the asylum process in Ireland.
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