On March 28th, our cinema screens will be blessed with the first ever Irish language horror movie.
An Taibhse, translated to The Ghost, is a thriller/horror starring Tom Kerrisk and Livvy Hill. Set on the stinging Irish landscape during the post-famine era, An Taibhse shows the depressive state Ireland remained in during the 1850s.
The film was produced by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan and directed/written by 24-year-old John Farrelly.
And viewers will be brought on an emotional rollercoaster ranging from innocent curiosity to full-on terror.
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The film centres around a father-daughter duo, Éamon and Máire, who aim to survive the harsh winter months by setting out to fill a caretaker role in a secluded Georgian mansion. At first, their stay is not only manageable but quite peaceful, however, it soon takes a turn.
The pair begin to experience different supernatural phenomena taking place within the walls of the mansion that drive them to the brink of insanity. Throughout the film, the pair face challenges of human resilience and navigate how to deal with the spine-tingling events that they have witnessed.
We promise this one isn’t for the faint of heart.
The film premiered on July 11th last year at the Galway Film Fleadh. Since then An Taibhse has made the rounds appearing at the Newport film Festival in North America, the Irish Film Institute in Dublin, Frightfest in Leicester Square, Ennis Film Festival, Pigeon International Film Festival in Iceland and many more.
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The film was met with amazing reviews and has been applauded for not only its chilling narrative but also for its embrace of Irish culture and language.
An Taibhse was filmed in County Wicklow at Coollattin House. The house has remained unoccupied for over 25 years and contains an insane 117 rooms giving it a truly eerie quality.
Throughout the movie, we can see how Farrelly took inspiration from movies such as The Shining and other 1970s/80s classic horrors. Kerrisk and Hill are said to have conducted an outstanding performance embracing the stark fear and lunacy that their characters face. We can’t wait to see this on the big screen later this month!