MUD AND BONE NIGHT: Fuil na mBarr & Penda's Fen

During this run-up to Halloween, Normal Cinema Club is proud to present a folk-themed double bill inspired by the land beneath us and the stories it holds, featuring Rory Carroll's FUIL NA MBARR and Alan Clarke's PENDA'S FEN.

Penda's Fen is a seminal piece of folk horror, transcending the genre to become an exploration of identity, queerness, religion, nationalism, pagan histories, weird little demons, and so much more. The obnoxious son of a pastor starts to question his beliefs, religious and political, after a series of dreams where he encounters surreal manifestations of the past. Director Alan Clarke admitted to not fully understanding the script, yet his knack for invoking the uncanny (as seen in his other masterpiece ELEPHANT) conjures a world both wondrous and nightmarish as protagonist Stephen discovers his identity and comes to terms with his sexuality.

Where Penda's Fen is an exploration of the British national identity, and a consideration of its soiled history, Fuil na mBarr is an Irish subversion, with the shadow of the famine looming large. Set during the 1840s, it starts with a land dispute that leads to brother killing brother. After burying the body at the bottom of his field, the farmer's crops begin to die and his mind begins to unravel.

Both shorts question our relationship to our landscapes as well as the lasting effects of Britain's colonial history. What's scarier for Halloween than confronting the horrors of our ancestors??

The Beanbag Cinema is a micro-cinema venue situated on the ground floor with a gender-neutral restroom. Please get in touch with any questions about accessibility. Doors will open at 6.45pm, with the short beginning shortly after 7pm. There will be a short break before the feature. This is a strictly 18+ event.

Normal Cinema Club is supported by Cinema For All and FilmHubNI, and wishes to thank the Belfast Film Festival for their continued support and the BFI National TV Archive.

Host or Publisher Normal Cinema Club