AN CAILÍN CIÚIN

95 mins, Ireland, 2021, Subtitled

Nominated for the 95th Academy Awards in the ‘International Feature Film’ category of the Oscars.

Colm Bairéad’s debut feature became one of the most lauded Irish films of recent years. Adapted from Foster, a short story by Claire Keegan, it centres on nine-year-old Cáit, a shy and withdrawn child who receives little affection from a family ruled by an uncaring patriarch. When she is sent to spend the summer with her aunt Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and her husband Seán (Andrew Bennett), she blossoms in their care. At the end of the summer, difficult decisions must be faced. This is a work of small moments, anchored by Catherine Clinch, in her remarkable debut screen performance as the titular quiet girl. It makes for a film of pure artistry, as uplifting as it is heart breaking.