Le Règne animal
The Animal Kingdom

Cork Premiere

Date & Time: Wednesday 6th at 8:30pm

Details: Thomas Cailley / France / 2023 / 128 mins

Starring: Romain Duris, Paul Kircher, Adèle Exarchopoulos

A mysterious malady is sweeping France, unlocking something at a genetic level that causes people to transform into hybrid creatures. The mutations are slow and unpredictable: one person might sprout feathers, developing wings, while another grows scales and slithers like a snake. Through it all, 16-year-old Émile and his father, François, are just trying to stay calm, which isn’t easy when something akin to a zombie apocalypse is affecting the country.

This riveting adventure explores themes of ecology, tolerance of diversity and how communities cope with massive, uncontrollable, natural disasters.

“Rippling with visual invention” Screen International

“A highly original sci-fi film that serves as an empathetic parable for real-life intolerance of physical and neurological otherness.” Little White Lies

Opening Film, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, 2023
Nominated for 12 César Awards, 2024, including for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor

Augure
Omen

Irish Premiere

Date & Time: Wednesday 6th at 6:15pm

Details: Baloji / Belgium, Democratic Republic of Congo / 2023 / 90 mins

Starring: Marc Zinga, Yves-Marina Ghahoua, Marcel Otete Kabeya

After spending years in Belgium, Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront his family and homeland culture. Secrecy and sorcery erupt when a nosebleed is mistaken for a curse, and Koffi is shunned from his family. Using magical realism to paint a portrait of undesirables and sorcerers, Omen delves into the intricacies of identity, culture, and belief systems through a deeply rich and visually captivating lens. Fulfilling all the promise of his multi-disciplinary projects in fashion, short film and styling, director Baloji offers up a feast for the senses.

“A visually striking, deeply compassionate and memorable debut” IndieWire

Prix New Voice, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, 2023
Grand Prix, Best Film, Ghent International Film Festival, 2023
Best Director, Festival du film francophone d’Angoulême, 2023