Elokuvat
Songs of the Earth
Torstai 25.9.
14:00
Songs of the Earth A film by Michael McGlynn
Valve Film Studio, Cultural Centre Valve
Free Entry. Duration: 40 minutes.
Language: English
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In March 2020 the world as we know it shuddered to a standstill.
Humanity, for the first time in living memory, was bound together and forced to look critically at itself and how it relates to the societies that we live in. The loss of freedoms we have always taken for granted forced us to examine our lives and our relationships with each other.
”Songs of the Earth”, a film by Michael McGlynn, features some of those connections and includes singers from the Irish, Native American and Sámi cultures. Their songs explore the diverse relationships that exist to the natural world and how these are expressed in terms of community and their integration into the landscape around them.
“Songs of the Earth”, created by three film makers spread between Ireland, Sápmi and the USA, gives us a glimpse of that timeless, ever changing beauty that is within every living thing, unifying the world within its sinuous and powerful melody. This film brings together four unique cultural voices, Irish, Sámi and Native American, that somehow show that balance that can be found in song between the elemental and human.
Commissioned by the Tampere Vocal Music Festival
In association with The Sàmi Cultural Center Sajos – Säämi kulturkuávdáš
Languages: Irish, Inari Sámi, English
Featuring: Kuobžâ-Piäká Ánná / Anna Morottaja (a singer of the Inari Sámi livđe)
Arlie Neskahi, of the Diné Nation (Navajo) is a composer, musician and recording artist
Ellie Nic Fhionnghaile is a singer and fiddle player from Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Donegal
Fergus Cahillane is a singer and multi-instrumentalist.
Words on Canvas
Torstai 25.9.
15:00
Words on Canvas
Valve Film Studio, Cultural Centre Valve
Free Entry. Duration: 66 minutes.
Language: Irish, English subtitles
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Irish Feature Documentary ‘David Keenan – Focla ar Chanbhás’ gets global release in 2025.
Winner of the BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD at Docs Ireland Festival in Belfast, the highly anticipated documentary David Keenan – Focla ar Chanbhás, (Words on Canvas) directed by Paddy Hayes, is set for its international festival run. It’s an intimate and poetic exploration of the life and artistry of Dundalk musician David Keenan…
Four years after the breakthrough success of his debut album Beginner’s Guide to Bravery, Dundalk-born songwriter, musician, and composer David Keenan finds himself at a crossroads. Known for his evocative lyricism and compelling live performances, Keenan invites us into his world of words as he returns to the studio to create new music.
“Anger is easy to portray, it’s the hurt that’s hard,” Keenan reflects, encapsulating the emotional depth of the journey captured on screen. Over the course of 500 days, Focla ar Chanbhás offers an unfiltered look at his creative process, the challenges of navigating an ever-changing music industry, and the struggle to retain authenticity in an era dominated by ”algorithm and blues”.
This film is not just a documentary about one artist—it is a meditation on artistry itself, a resonant portrait of the trials and triumphs of musical expression.
Director Paddy Hayes masterfully weaves together candid footage, powerful performances, and deeply personal moments, crafting an immersive documentary that will leave audiences moved and inspired.
David Keenan – Focla ar Chanbhás is an Ildána film funded by TG4 and the Arts Council.
