Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)

This article explores the central role played by contemporary Irish-language film in the reappraisal and re-imagination of Irish cinema as international cinema, focusing on the recent Irish-language films An Cailín Ciúin (Colm Bairéad 2022) and Foscadh (Seán Breathnach 2021). I examine the films’ ut...

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Main Author: Jeannine Woods
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses 2025-03-01
Series:Estudios Irlandeses
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Online Access:https://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JEANNINE-WOODS_DEF_11_03.pdf
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author Jeannine Woods
author_facet Jeannine Woods
author_sort Jeannine Woods
collection DOAJ
description This article explores the central role played by contemporary Irish-language film in the reappraisal and re-imagination of Irish cinema as international cinema, focusing on the recent Irish-language films An Cailín Ciúin (Colm Bairéad 2022) and Foscadh (Seán Breathnach 2021). I examine the films’ utilisation and cinematic refiguration of Irish-language cultural and discursive modes in their interrogations of vulnerability, a condition seen by some as a central paradigm of globalisation. The films’ employment of “indigenous” or “minor” conceptions of the self, of silence, of place and of relationality in their explorations of vulnerability suggests that such concepts and the relational modes underpinning them can serve to mitigate and even challenge the effects of globalising discourses and processes. I suggest that An Cailín Ciúin and Foscadh demonstrate the power and potential of Irish-language cinema in the expression and exploration of themes with national and global resonance.
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spelling doaj-art-cfccb4b895834c9db580c778d64ac19b2025-08-20T02:59:22ZengAsociación Española de Estudios IrlandesesEstudios Irlandeses1699-311X2025-03-012020223513182Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)Jeannine Woods0 University of Galway, Ireland This article explores the central role played by contemporary Irish-language film in the reappraisal and re-imagination of Irish cinema as international cinema, focusing on the recent Irish-language films An Cailín Ciúin (Colm Bairéad 2022) and Foscadh (Seán Breathnach 2021). I examine the films’ utilisation and cinematic refiguration of Irish-language cultural and discursive modes in their interrogations of vulnerability, a condition seen by some as a central paradigm of globalisation. The films’ employment of “indigenous” or “minor” conceptions of the self, of silence, of place and of relationality in their explorations of vulnerability suggests that such concepts and the relational modes underpinning them can serve to mitigate and even challenge the effects of globalising discourses and processes. I suggest that An Cailín Ciúin and Foscadh demonstrate the power and potential of Irish-language cinema in the expression and exploration of themes with national and global resonance.https://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JEANNINE-WOODS_DEF_11_03.pdfirish-language cinemaan cailín ciúinfoscadhglobalisationvulnerability
spellingShingle Jeannine Woods
Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)
Estudios Irlandeses
irish-language cinema
an cailín ciúin
foscadh
globalisation
vulnerability
title Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)
title_full Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)
title_fullStr Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)
title_full_unstemmed Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)
title_short Language, Silence and the Place of Irish-Language Film in Contemporary Cinema: Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin (2022) and Seán Breathnach’s Foscadh (2021)
title_sort language silence and the place of irish language film in contemporary cinema colm bairead s an cailin ciuin 2022 and sean breathnach s foscadh 2021
topic irish-language cinema
an cailín ciúin
foscadh
globalisation
vulnerability
url https://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JEANNINE-WOODS_DEF_11_03.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT jeanninewoods languagesilenceandtheplaceofirishlanguagefilmincontemporarycinemacolmbaireadsancailinciuin2022andseanbreathnachsfoscadh2021