ARRACHT
“Instinctively the viewer shivers as Colman confronts his fate – rarely has a film felt this chilled to the bone.” – Screen Daily
“This well acted and beautifully scored film is born of the land itself; an austere and implacable drama about finding hope when all else is lost.” – LittleWhiteLies
“This is an enigmatic mood piece that recreates this unsettling period of Irish history, helped along by a brilliant cast and the haunting intensity of its remote countryside setting in the coastal region of Connemara.” – filmuforia.co.uk
“Tom Sullivan’s unmissable Arracht is a beautifully crafted murder ballad set against the Great Famine, featuring terrific turns from Dónall Ó Héalaí and newcomer Saise Ní Chuinn” – The Irish Times
Ireland 1845. As the famine tightens its grip, a fisherman is hunted for crimes he did not commit. Unable to protect his family from death he is subsumed by darkness until a helpless little girl saves him from despair.
Arracht is a feature film by Tom Sullivan, supported by TG4, the Irish Film Board (IFB), and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) through the Cine4 scheme. Produced by Cúán Mac Conghail for Macalla.
Arracht is set to release in 2020.
Arracht had its world premiere at the 23rd PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, in Estonia, on the 29th November 2019. More info.
For further information, contact Cúán at cuan@macallateo.com / Ciara at ciara@macallateo.com.
Starring Dónall Ó Héalaí, Michael McElhatton, Siobhán O’Kelly and introducing a stunning debut from 11 year old Saise Ní Chuinn, Arracht is a haunting tale of overcoming grief and the fight for survival. Set in Ireland, 1845, the film centers on fisherman Colmán Sharkey, who takes in a a stranger, Patsy, a former soldier, who arrives just ahead of the blight – a crop disease that caused the Great Plague, killing and displacing millions of Irish people. Arracht was filmed entirely on the remote west coast of ireland in Connemara.
Other cast members include Dara Devaney, Peter Coonan, Seán T. Ó Meallaigh and Michelle Beamish. Original music score written and performed by Kíla. Production design by Padráig Ó Neill. Edited by Mary Crumlish, with post-production services from Outer Limits. Costume design by Clodagh Deegan, makeup by Niamh O’Loan.
LÉIRMHEASANNA | REVIEWS
Screen Daily
“It’s a delight to see an Irish-language film attempt to blend the country’s tragic history with more modern elements of genre conventions.”
Eye For Film
“This is chiefly a character study of one man’s humanity in the face of grief but it echoes the wider trauma of a nation that was decimated by hunger.”
filmuforia.co.uk
“This is a nebulous and enigmatic mood piece that recreates this unsettling period of Irish history, helped along by a brilliant cast and the haunting intensity of its remote countryside setting in the coastal region of Connemara.”
Little White Lies
“This well acted and beautifully scored film is born of the land itself; an austere and implacable drama about finding hope when all else is lost.”
