IFI Education Programme for Autumn 2011 launch

‘..just pay attention. You might learn something’.

Classroom mantra? Yes perhaps, but also a line from Inez, girlfriend of Gil, in the very amusing, Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen’s latest film which showed for teachers here at IFI on September 26th, to launch our Education Programme for Autumn 2011. 

IFI Education Programme - Autumn 2011

In the film Owen Wilson plays a terrific Woody Allen, totally put upon by his brittle and complaining fiancée for whom his novel-writing is becoming less appealing by the day. Instead of showing eagerness to finely wine, dine and shop in Paris, Gil gets more pleasure out of walking the city’s streets late at night. Till one night through an amazing bit of time travel, he ends up in the company of some rather famous 1920s names. There’s Hemmingway, and he’s hanging out with the Fitzgeralds and Gertrude Stein. Alice B Toklas opens the door. Bunuel comes by. Someone offers a greeting to Trotsky. And so it goes on. One after another of Gil’s heroes crosses his midnight path, led by the luminous Adriana (Marion Cotillard) with whom Gil starts to fall in love. Of course in Allanesque ways it gets complicated, and that’s just part of its charm.

Midnight in Paris

Perfect Tuesday evening fare for our group of teachers, the screening was accompanied by a short presentation by Thomas McGraw Lewis, on The Industry Trust’s You-Make-the-Movies Campaign, dedicated to raising awareness of the implications of piracy on the film industry. The Trust are targeting young people through our Education Programme and a nationwide preview screening programme of The Help – based on the best-selling book will take place on October 25th.

IFI Education Programme Launch

Learning something about film is what we hope students can do through our programme. And we’ve a whole range of titles and events to facilitate this. A major tour of French-language title, Panique au Village, with accompanying studyguide by our former colleague, Baz Al-Rawi, will promote language learning. For students of German, there’s Neukölln Unlimited, the insightful and tense documentary about Lebanese streetdancers seeking asylum after long-term living in Berlin. This is presented with the support of Goethe Institute.   

TY students can follow the teen adventures of 15-year-old Oliver in the quirky Submarine or get their F1 thrills with Senna, the gifted Brazilian racing-driver. Other challenging slices of life come from South Africa’s Life above All about 12-year-old Chanda or Cold War spy story L’Affaire Farewell. 

Junior Cycle students needn’t feel left out - they can get out their dancing shoes for Jig, with Riverdance's Breandán de Gallaí to introduce the film. 

There’s Irish interest also in our primary programme with a free preview of Dolphin Tale, the heroic story of the injured dolphin whose tail is constructed by an Irish prosthetics doctor and The Runway, about Paco and his Spanish speaking pilot friend who wants to get back home. Director Ian Power will be at this screening to talk to the young audience.

IFI Education Programme Launch

There’s lots more in the programme to support different aspects of curricula as well as information on our Teen Club which aims to give young people an opportunity to see a range of film they wouldn’t usually have access to, outside of schooltime. The whole programme is dedicated to giving teachers and their students a range of opportunities to engage with film in different ways here at IFI or at partner venues around the country. Dee Quinlan and I in  IFI Education would like to know what you think of it. 

But let’s leave the last word to Woody Allen. For the times when classroom events might take a surreal turn this term, it might help to recall this scene from the film:

Luis Buñuel: A man in love with a woman from a different era. I see a photograph! 

Man Ray: I see a film! 

Gil: I see insurmountable problem! 

Salvador Dalí: I see rhinoceros! 

Alicia McGivern

Head of IFI Education

Click [here] (PDF - 1.7mb) to download the programme. 

For more information on IFI Education events, visit www.ifi.ie/education or contact Dee Quinlan (e: schools@irishfilm.ie, t: 01 679 5744).

See more photos from the IFI Education launch on Flickr [here].

Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris runs at the IFI until October 27th. For information and bookings, click [here].