Buried deep in the market area off Dublin’s Capel Street, almost underground, is the historic Irish abbey, St. Mary’s. Here, in this hallowed space, six women dressed in yellow come, one by one and night after night, to wash and re-wash the long garment they are wearing. The ritual of repeatedly submerging and scrubbing the cloth becomes an act of cleansing and rebirth, their raw knuckles scraping, increasingly violently, against the fabric. The grunts and groans of their efforts become haunting cries echoing throughout the chamber. Their bodies twist and contort, becoming harbingers of an almost talismanic energy; an energy that can be felt like breath on your face, an energy that collectively becomes a triumph of the spirit.
This film of that event has as its premise that to endure is to live and finally to triumph. It engages with the shamanist ritual of healing. These six extraordinary performances filmed in a series of epic takes is an Irish film unlike any other you’ll see this year. The film unfolds over four hours, following the durational nature of the original performances. Amanda Coogan and Paddy Cahill’s film presents concurrently on a single canvas the six performances. - Amanda Coogan
