Breaking box office records in Ireland and the UK, a Gaelic language film became the standard bearer of a language rarely seen on the big screen. Calm girl (An Cailin Ciúin) quadrupled the previous record for an Irish-language film, grossing € 610,000 (£ 518,000) last week after its mid-May release.

This success is all the more surprising as it is an upcoming theatrical film directed by a little known director, without famous actors.

“He transcended all prophecy”, Said Robert McCann Finn, co-founder of Breakout Pictures, the film’s Irish distributor.

The film, directed by Com Bairad and based on Claire Keegan’s novel Foster, follows the story of a 10 – year – old girl who was once sent to live with her adoptive parents on a farm in County Waterford (southeast of Ireland). The film won numerous awards and critical acclaim in the early 1980s. Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian called it a gem.

Since its release in mid-May, Ann Kylein Cuin, better known in Irish, has performed in over 70 theaters across the island of Ireland and around 30 in the UK. ” It attracts all generations. Young and old who had not been to the movies for years – it made them want to come back. ⁇

Aracht, the biggest famine drama released in the UK and Ireland last year, was the previous highest grossing Irish film. UK audiences are a group of Irish expats and people with no connection to Ireland, said Jake Garrio, head of distribution strategy at Curzon, the UK distributor of the film. The UK figures are better than many of the films screened at Cannes last year. Even for a foreign language title, it is incredibly remarkable.

The Quiet Girl is the first Gaelic language film to be distributed by Curzon – he admits he never had a choice before. As of 2017, the total number of live-action Irish language feature films – the entire history of the film – was four.

However, since 2019, Screen Ireland has produced five feature films under the Cine4 banner, in collaboration with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and TG4, a public service broadcaster in the Irish language. Arracht and The Quiet Girl are priced at 1.2 million each.

Is it a good idea to project a film at the next British Film Festival in Dinard?

Photo Credit: DR
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