• Dublin Film Fest: Pre-Crime

    March 2, 2018 - By 

    Artificial intelligence, drones and self-driving cars have moved from science fiction stories into the real world. In The Minority Report, Philip K. Dick imagined a cop who used the pre-cognitive abilities of mutant siblings to solve serious crimes before they happened. Real cops predict crime too, except they turn to big data for help. Showing at the Dublin International Film Festival, Pre-Crime examines how police departments and private businesses use public and private information to work out who is likely to carry out illegal acts. The idea of proactive policing to stop crime isn’t new, but it has been transformed…

  • Dublin Film Fest: Yasuni Man

    March 1, 2018 - By 

    The Yasuni National Park and Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador is considered one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Its Amazonian rainforest is home to amphibians, mammals, birds and plants. The frogs, tapirs, jaguars and monkeys alone would have provided ample material for a stunning wildlife documentary. But, film-maker Ryan Killackey sets out to do more with Yasuni Man by including an intimate study of a remote forest community under siege from big business. The rainforest may have been designated an UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve but that does not protect its lucrative natural resources from exploitation. Yasuni sits…

  • Dublin Film Fest: First Reformed

    February 27, 2018 - By 

    Questions of faith are easy to ask yet hard to answer. In the modern parable First Reformed, Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) is experiencing a crisis of faith. A former military chaplain, Toller is grieving for a son who he encouraged to join the military. He is also coming to terms with his own mortality while serving his tiny congregation at First Reformed Chapel. As his despair deepens, he refuses to accept support from his colleague Esther (Victoria Hill) and superior Pastor Jeffers (Cedric Kyres). Instead, Toller begins to counsel Michael (Philip Ettinger), a radical environmentalist, and his pregnant wife Mary (Amanda…

  • Dublin Film Fest: Beast

    February 27, 2018 - By 

    Lies told to protect the feelings of a loved one can have untold consequences. In Beast, troubled Moll (Jessie Buckley) decides to leave her birthday party to go dancing. After staying out all night, she meets Pascal (Johnny Flynn), a handsome outsider in grubby jeans and a torn t-shirt. On impulse, Moll covers for him when they are stopped at a police checkpoint. The initial attraction between Moll and Pascal develops into a passionate connection, much to the distress of Moll’s family. Her mother Hilary (Gerarldine James) is distant and controlling while her siblings treat Moll with casual disdain. Every…