The Banshees of Inisherin

Country, year: Ireland, UK, USA, 2022; 109'
Directed by: Martin McDonagh

Cankarjev dom Cinema The Banshees of Inisherin

Screenplay: Martin McDonagh
Cinematography: Ben DavisCarter Burwell
Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon, David Pearse, Sheila Flitton, Jon Kenny, Bríd Ní Neachtain

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite after more than a decade for another triumph by Irish director Martin McDonagh. Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.

1923. Civil war is raging in mainland Ireland. Just a stone’s throw away from the tumult of war, on a remote island off the west Irish coast, life runs its usual course. Pádraic lives with his sister in a humble cottage and makes a living as a dairy farmer. He and his friend, an aging musician Colm, spend their afternoons at the local pub. Padraic and Colm find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Padraic, aided by his sister Siobhan and troubled young islander Dominic, endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Padraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.

I just wanted to tell a very simple breakup story. And to see how far a simple comedic and dark plot could go. Bringing back Colin and Brendan after 14 years was of the utmost importance in my mind—they were always going to be those two friends falling out. That was the original germ of the idea.
Martin McDonagh

About director
Born into an Irish family in 1970 in London. He left school when he was 16 to pursue his love of playwriting. It was already his first play, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (1996), that won a number of awards. Since then McDonagh has gone on to write multiple smash-hit shows and films and win multiple awards, including an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film for Six Shooter. He made his first feature film, In Bruges, in 2008.