"Róise agus Frank" - RIIFF 2022 Screening

115 Empire Street,Providence RI 02903

14 August, 2022

Description

Set in the heart of rural Ireland, in a sea-side town, Róise & Frank follows the story of recently widowed Róise Uí Mheadhra and the aftermath of her husband, Frank's passing two years previous. Grief-stricken, Róise has distanced herself from the world around her, and those dearest to her. A routine phone call to her late husband's phone and lack of self care consume her during these long, lonely days. Change is on the horizon for Róise when a stray dog follows her every move. Is it uncanny, the interest shown by the dog in Frank's possessions, or is there a message behind it all? Róise decides to stop resisting the dog and is led to places of significance to her and her late husband. The reincarnation of her husband to this small pet is heart-warming to Róise, even if it is at the expense of her credibility in her small town. Director Biography - Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy formed a creative partnership in college in 1990. After 5 successful short films they made their feature debut in 2015. TRADERS is a darkly comic take on the lengths people go to survive in a post Celtic Tiger Ireland. Starring Killian Scott (Dublin Murders, '71) and John Bradley (Game of Thrones), the film was described by The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw as “an ingenious and macabre debut.” TRADERS was released in Irish cinemas and was acquired by HBO for Cinemax in the US. It was part of BBC THREE's alternative Christmas schedule in 2016. TRADERS won The Audience Award at the Belfast Film Festival and The Orbit Award at the Brussels Fantasic Film Festival. Their second film, RÓISE & FRANK, shows their desire to find lightness in the darker areas of the human experience, but with a resolutely positive approach. Their aim was to make a film about grief and what some consider “excessive grief”. They both personally knew people who had talked about “visits” from birds or other animals after the death of a loved one and that was the kernel that inspired this film. What if they weren't fleeting visits? What if someone really came back? What then? Róise says it in the film – “none of us know what happens after we die.” Grief is universal but how we deal with it is individual, and this story is about a dog who helps a woman process her grief and embrace life again. Rachael and Peter have recently secured production funding from Screen Ireland for their third feature, WHAT I KNOW ABOUT MEN, and both have successful independent careers as television directors working in Ireland.