"The Irish in Film"

The Irish Studies Program's film series, "The Irish in Film," begins on Wednesday, October 6 with "Black '47" (2018), a film about Ireland's Great Famine (1845-1850). The film is directed by Lance Daly and produced with the help of the Irish Film Board. The Famine occurred when the potato crop failed in several consecutive seasons due to a fungus, causing about a million deaths from starvation, disease and fever. James Frenchville stars as Feeney, who returns to home to western Ireland in 1847 (the worst year of the Famine) to find death and devastation. Feeney seeks revenge against those he holds responsible: soldiers, policemen, rent collectors, and the powerful landlord. Stephen Rea plays Connelly, sort of the local storyteller, who observes Fenney's actions and comments on them.