Derry Hallowe'en film screened in America

The bilingual film about the origins of the Hallowe’en Carnival in the city was screened in Seattle and Boston.

Spiorad na Samhana (The Spirit of Hallowe’en) was shown first at the 19th Irish Reels Film Festival in Seattle last Saturday and screened again at the 16th Irish Film Festival in Boston on Sunday past.

The Seattle festival also screened A City Dreaming, written and narrated by the late Gerry Anderson and directed by Mark McCauley.

The Boston festival screened 45 Irish produced features and shorts, including a series After ‘16, about current thoughts on the Easter Rising.

Having originated in Derry, Spiorad na Samhna tells the story of how the Hallowe’en celebrations began in the Castle Bar during the Troubles in the 1980s. The film features Tony Toland who was bar manager at the time and customers Paul Kerr and Damian McAteer.

The film also tells the story of the origins of Hallowe’en itself from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Dr. Jenny Butler, Folklore Department, University College, Cork is the narrator.

The acclaimed Film was produced on WIT/Nemeton TV film making course and funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

It won Best Short Documentary at the 2015

Underground Film Festival, Cork and was also selected for the 2015 Babel International Film Festival for Minority Languages in Sardinia.