THE MAGDALENE SISTERS storms up Irish box office
The award winning feature THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, which opened at cinemas across Ireland on Friday 25th October continues to rise up the box office. It’s total to date is €899,598 and it will be the biggest Irish film in 2002. Figures have been increasing steadily due to good word of mouth.The film has expanded to 37 screens and it’s screen average remains strong into it’s 4th week on release. Niamh McCaul from Eclipse Pictures, the film’s distributor in Ireland says “we’re delighted with the box office. Figures are very strong and are growing which is an indication of very positive word of mouth. It is a testimony to the fact that Irish audiences feel The Magdalene Sisters is a must-see film. It appeals to all audiences in the Irish market and we have had many comments from exhibitors that have mentioned that the last time they’ve seen such a cross section of public going to cinema was to see Titanic”.
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, which received unanimous acclaim from critics and press has also been nominated for Best European Film at the European Film Academy Awards. The Award ceremony will take place on Saturday 7th December. "We are delighted with the EFA nomination and the impressive box office performance in Ireland as audiences have embraced this film and recognised the importance of this story", said Moira Horgan, Irish Film Board.
The film tells a powerful and emotional journey, charting several years in the young lives of four ‘fallen women’ who find themselves incarcerated in a Magdalene laundry. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 women were detained at Magdalene Asylums throughout Ireland. The last laundry closed in 1996. THE MAGDALENE SISTERS won The Golden Lion for Best Film at Venice Film Festival and Discovery Critics Award at Toronto Film Festival earlier this year.
The film’s acclaimed director Peter Mullan, who is best known for his award-winning performance as a recovering alcoholic in Ken Loach's MY NAME IS JOE, said "over the last 170 years, I can't think of a time when the Catholic Church had a lower esteem than what it has now... What began as the odd scandal in the 1980s is now pandemic," "the Catholic Church knows it's going to have to face up to all of the things it has done," said the Scottish director.
The Magdalene Sisters was produced by PFP Films in association with Element Films with financing from Wild Bunch, Momentum, Lucky Red, Irish Film Board, Film Council, Scottish Screen, Ingenious & Dumfries & Galloway.
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS is at cinemas nationwide in all key towns and cities, rated 15PG.
“THE MAGDALENE SISTERS” is released by Eclipse Pictures in Ireland on behalf of Momentum Pictures and was co-funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ the Irish Film Board.
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