A stunning celebration of Dublin culture and heartening depiction of the strength of the Irish people, North Circular provides a thought-provoking approach to the documentary musical scene. It was originally released in 2022 and remained in Irish cinemas for many months afterwards. 

The film, directed by Luke McManus, has been featured in many festivals and is the winner of eight awards—most notably, the Best Sound on Screen Award at the 2023 Denton Thin Line Festival, the American Cinematographer Award at 2023 Salem Film Festival and the Grand Prix for Best Musical Documentary Award at FIPADOC 2023.

Throughout the film, we travel the length of Dublin’s well-known North Circular Road, from Phoenix Park to Dublin Port. The story is told in a black and white 4:3 Academy ratio, displaying a rich sense of history. This, married with the film’s authentic folk music and vibrant streetscapes, provides the film with an aesthetic root to its narrative. 

North Circular tackles a wide range of narratives, from colonialism, war, and heritage, to the struggle for women’s liberation, and more urgent local issues, including the battle to save Cobblestone Pub, a catalyst for Dublin’s recent folk revival, from destruction by property developers. 

The narrative focuses on the experiences of the residents of North Circular Road. In a director’s note, McManus explains, “there are numerous themes, characters and issues bubbling beneath the surface of the North Circular Road when you walk along it. A certain darkness at times, a celebratory energy at others: this singular road encompasses so much diversity of human experience.” 

The captivating cinematography and thoughtful narrative are unimpactful without the music, which is crucial to North Circular as a film. The film uses the songs to tell the stories. In the chapter about the army, Ian Lynch sings “Banks Of The Nile,” a song from the perspective of a soldier’s wife. In the chapter about Mountjoy, John Francis Flynn employs Ewan McColl’s “The Lag’s Song” about the interior psychological life of a prisoner.

The film revolves around the folk revival and its place in Dublin. In the chapter regarding the battle to save Cobblestone Pub, we are introduced to the rich culture and heritage that resides on North Circular Road and in Dublin, and the fight to keep it strong. Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin sings “Dark Horse On The Wind,” a song by Liam Weldon that commemorates the Easter Rising, a large historical event in Irish independence, and looks at the vision of the state and people during that time. Its placement in this chapter speaks volumes to the vision of residents of North Circular Road and Ireland as a whole.

North Circular will be shown at Market Hall on January 27^th at 8:00 PM. It is also available for Virtual Theatre from January 29^th to February 4^th.

‍The 2024 ReFrame Festival runs from January 25th-February 4th. A list of films, tickets to events and screenings, and more information can be found on the Festival Website.