Four IFB Docs Selected for Competition at Esteemed Amsterdam Festival
Three Irish feature documentaries including Risteard O'Domhnall's The Pipe, Shane O'Sullivan's Children of the Revolution and Burma Soldier, directed by Nic Dunlop, Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, have all been officially selected for competition at the prestigious 24th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), which takes place from the 17th - 28th November.
The Pipe chronicles local farmers and fishermen in the rural town of Rossport, Co. Mayo, who upon learning of Shell Oil's plans to build a giant high-pressure pipe to transport raw gas through the town, rise up in protest to fight for their rights. Produced by Rachel Lysaght for Scannain Inbhear, it was co-financed by the IFB/BSÉ and TG4. The film scooped the Best Documentary award at its world premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh earlier this year, followed by a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and more recently at London Film Festival. It will be competing against 11 other documentaries in the Green Screen category at the IDFA.
Children of the Revolution tells the stories of Ulrike Meinhof and Fusako Shigenobu - revolutionary women who emerged from the student movements in Germany and Japan in 1968 to become the leading female "terrorists" of their time. Fuelled by the killing in Vietnam, they set out to destroy capitalist power through world revolution. Directed and produced by Shane O'Sullivan for Transmission Films, this shocking film was funded by IFB/BSÉ, WDR and MEDIA.
Burma Soldier follows soldier Myo Mint, whose stint in the Burmese army came to an end when an arm and leg were blown away whilst clearing mines. Discharged, he tries to educate himself illicitly on why Burma was at war with itself, soon becoming an outspoken activist - with brutal repercussions. Produced by Julie LeBrocquy for LeBrocquy Fraser Productions and co-financed by the IFB, HBO and Sundance, this moving documentary also premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh where it won the runner up prize for Best Feature Documentary and is also set to screen at the Sheffield Doc Fest next month.Both Children of the Revolution and Burma Soldier will be screening in the Reflecting Images:Panama category at the IDFA.
Also added to compete in the Forum is Possessions of the Sea, an animated documentary directed by Femke Wolting and Tommy Pallota, and co-produced by Dublin based Still Films (Pyjama Girls, Seaview) and Dutch company Submarine, which also received funding from the IFB/BSÉ.
The festival which began in 1988 has has grown into the largest and most diverse documentary film festival in the world. IDFA is unique for its international film program, the variety of genres, the politically engaged and the many European and world premieres that are presented each year. Approximately 280 titles will screen over the course of eleven days from the 17th-28th November.