Panti Bliss Documentary ‘The Queen of Ireland’ is Now Available to Own on DVD
The Queen of Ireland, a documentary which explores the life of Rory O'Neill, AKA Panti Bliss, is now available on DVD.
The Queen of Ireland opened in cinemas in October and secured the largest-ever opening for an Irish documentary, securing €47,906 across Ireland on its opening weekend. It is also the third-highest opening for any documentary at the Irish box office, behind only Farenheit 9/11in 2004 and Amy in 2015.
Created by Rory O'Neill, Panti is a drag queen, an accidental activist and in her own words ‘a court jester, whose role is to say the un- sayable'. Over the last few years Rory has become a figurehead for LGBT rights in Ireland and since the recent scandal around Pantigate, his fight for equality and against homophobia has become recognised across the world.
The Queen of Ireland is a documentary film that follows Rory's journey from the small Mayo town of Ballinrobe to striding the world stage. The fillm takes us behind the scenes with his alter ego Panti in the year she became the symbol of Ireland's march towards marriage equality. Directed by Conor Horgan (One Hundred Mornings, Deep End Dance) and produced by Katie Holly and Ailish Bracken for Blinder Films (Citadel, One Hundred Mornings) the film builds up a multi-faceted picture of a complex and compelling character through behind the scenes footage and interviews with friends, peers and protégés, including Bunny, Tonie Walsh, Shirley Temple Bar, Una Mullally, David Norris, the O'Neill family, the other half of CANDI PANTI, Angelo Pitillo, and long-time collaborators Niall Sweeney and Philip McMahon.
The Queen of Ireland has been met with acclaim from critics:
The Irish Times ★★★★★ Leaving aside its importance as a historical chronicle, The Queen of Ireland is a super movie, replete with tragedy, comedy, a plucky, unlikely heroine, and a sweeping dramatic arc.
Sunday Independent ★★★★★ "Expect this remarkable film to have legs, and deservedly so."
The Sunday Times ★★★★★ "There has been substantial advance buzz - and this brilliant documentary deserves it, having a strong narrative line, super visuals and a heart as big as its hair."
Entertainment.ie ★★★★★ "We're not seeing just Rory's story, we're seeing Ireland's story told through him. The Queen of Ireland isn't just a film, it's a document that chronicles the changing face of our country in an honest, compelling fashion."
The Queen of Ireland received funding from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and RTÉ. It is distributed by Universal Pictures.