Documentary Screening: The Hunger, The Story of the Irish Famine

Stanford Irish Association is hosting virtual screenings of two recent Irish films: The Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine (trailer, Friday March 5th), a documentary narrated by Liam Neeson and described as “a challenging, in-depth, and comprehensive assessment of the worst humanitarian disaster of the 1800s”; and Arracht (trailer, March 11th-14th), a powerful Irish language feature film (with subtitles!) set during the same period of history. Last year coincided with the 175th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Irish Famine 1845-1849 during which over a million people perished and a further million and a quarter fled this country of eight million people.

To join the screenings, please sign up here. On the day of the each screening, we will send a link to the films, which will remain available for the dates listed below.

The Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine (trailer)

Date: Friday 5th March

To mark the 175th anniversary of the Great Irish Famine documentary, narrated by Liam Neeson, reveals and develops a challenging analysis of the crisis. It is one of the first times one of the most defining historical moments in national history has been comprehensively shown on television. Featuring interviews with leading historians, the first-hand accounts of witnesses and survivors, vivid original maps based on the Atlas of the Great Irish Famine, and stunning cinematography through Ireland and in northern Europe, this major documentary explores the epic story of the last major food crisis to impact Europe, Britain and Ireland.

ARRACHT (trailer)

Date: Thursday 11th – Sunday 14th March

ARRACHT, which means Monster, is Ireland’s entry for the 2021 Oscars’ international feature film category, selected by The Irish Film and Television Academy.

ARRACHT tells the story of Colmán Sharkey, a fisherman, a father, a husband, living on the wild shores of Connemara in 1845 as The Great Hunger descends. As land taxes rise and crops rot Colmán confronts his Landlord, the night ends in deadly violence and Colmán is forced to go on the run, hunted for crimes he did not commit. As the years pass in solitude, Colmán returns to the mainland and encounters a young girl, Kitty and a life-saving friendship develops. ARRACHT is a bracingly authentic and tender story about finding hope when all else is lost.