Directed by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén, the story of a new Ireland and its vibrant music scene, but also that of a postcolonial society wrestling with its heritage. A society where folk music carries both the oppression of the past and the dream of a bright future.
As soon as you enter Útóipe Cheilteach, it holds that classic indie enthusiasm, a genuine passion mixed with a youthfulness. Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén set an atmosphere which feels fresh and unfiltered. When that’s then mixed with the influence of the folk music, it becomes almost infectious. That in turn actually creates an interesting contrast because a lot of the topics that they’re dealing with are rather heavy and traumatic.
It’s somewhat cathartic to watch all these young people reflect on the complex history of Ireland and its many conflicts. Especially when they’re ruminating on the futility of the violence and segregation, instead simply wanting a better future for their country. Harvey and Lovén use an informal, humble style to allow these conversations to all flow together naturally. Holding onto the everyday quality of them rather than trying to create something structured.
However, the very clever choice is that a structure is still built through the editing work from Dominika Daubenbüchel and the music. These moments of artists playing various different styles nicely accents Útóipe Cheilteach, leaning into the emotions and melancholy of many of the topics. By moving around a lot of different subjects, it also brings a very varied perspective to the table, while interestingly their opinions do strongly overlap. It’s additionally great to see them traverse the idea of heritage and the language, why it’s important to them and why it’s not as appreciated or taught by others.
Útóipe Cheilteach has an interestingly and intentionally casual quality, it wanders through different streets and homes to discover what people from different areas and backgrounds think of their country and its history. It’s surprisingly charming and jovial yet there’s a sincere emotional vein running throughout. It creates a wonderful balance of the music and the heavier nature of the topics, particularly through the editing and how they pepper the performances throughout. It holds an earnest quality and a simplicity on the face of it but beneath that has something more complex to offer.
FilmCarnage.com 