Last night The Skinny & Houli Show here in Chicago, welcomed Dublin filmmakers Dave Farrell and his son Colin Farrell to Lizzie McNeill’s Irish Pub where the show is recorded each Wednesday night.
The Farrells are in town for the Chicago premiere of their film, “A Terrible Beauty”, a significant historical docu-drama that captures the lives of everyday folks caught up in the maelstrom of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.
On a whirlwind tour of the USA, the Farrells have already screened “A Terrible Beauty” in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston among other spots. They now have arrived in the windy city, barnstorming across local Irish radio shows and at private receptions feting the filmmakers across Chicago.
The film focuses on the two most ferocious battles that took place during the 1916 uprising, the battles of Mount Street and North King Street. By mixing archive footage with dramatic reconstruction and first-hand accounts it takes the viewer on a journey to the very heart of the conflict, giving them an up close and personal view of the often brutal and bloody fight which affected the lives of the men and women caught up in this historical event.
“A Terrible Beauty” premiered at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and was broadcast in Ireland last Easter Monday on TG4, the Irish language television channel, and went on to win raves from critics and audiences alike at several film festivals including the Crystal Palace International Film Festival, The Celtic Media Festival, and the Lucerne International Film Festival.
The Evening Herald said, “You won’t have seen a better film about the 1916 Easter Rising…. it offered something rare: a completely fresh take on the subject.”
Advance tickets are encouraged for these sure to sell-out screenings, Friday Sept. 26th at 8PM and Sunday Sept. 28th at 3PM. Call the theater at 312-846-2600, or purchase tix online here.
Each screening will also feature a half-hour question and answer segment with the audience. After the Q&A the filmmakers will adjourn to The Emerald Loop Irish pub and restaurant, at 216 North Wabash, just around the corner from the Siskel Film Center, to continue the conversation with the audience over a pint or two.
Don’t miss this enlightening look into a seismic moment in time for the Irish nation!
