All hail Jim Sheridan. The great man is the subject of an elaborate retrospective beginning today in the Irish Film Institute. Over the next few weeks fans can enjoy a host of films and special appearances celebrating the most garlanded Irish director of his generation.
Events kicked off yesterday with a screening of
My Left Foot. Daniel Day Lewis, who won his first Oscar playing Christy Brown in the film, was there to launch the season. Sheridan himself was also in attendance.
Sheridan will make several further appearances at the jamboree. Tomorrow at 4.30pm, his brother Peter Sheridan, also a distinguished writer, will grill his sibling on – we assume – their Dublin experiences growing up in Sheriff Street, and later adventures at the Project Arts Centre.
On February 12th we shift down a generation when, following a screening of In America, Jim talks to Kristen Sheridan, his daughter and co-author of the screenplay for that Oscar-nominated picture.
Explaining the reasoning behind the event, IFI director Sarah Glennie, said: “Jim Sheridan’s exceptional body of work has not only been recognised domestically, but has proven itself on the international stage many times. He has become a key figure in shaping the world’s perception of Ireland and its diaspora.”
- Jim Sheridan: In Focus runs until February 21st. Details at ifi.ie.