Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Watch us on Youtube Join the Archive Mailing List Read our Blog

The Secret of Roan Inish

The Secret of Roan Inish
February 22, 2020 - 7:30 pm
In-person: 
intro by assistant editor Plummy Tucker.

Restoration world premiere!

The Secret of Roan Inish  (1994)

Shot on the western coast of Ireland, marking John Sayles’ first filmmaking endeavor outside the U.S., this fantastical fable at first seems a departure for a realist whose stories are traditionally bound by earthly interests. Adapted from a Scottish novel by Rosalie Fry, and heavily imbued with the rich folklore tradition of the Emerald Isle, Roan Inish unfolds through tender family moments sprinkled with that special bit of magic: a child’s unbound imagination.

Digitally restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive. Funding provided by Anarchists’ Convention. Laboratory services provided by Roundabout Entertainment and Deluxe Audio Services. Special thanks to Maggie Renzi, John Sayles, and the Samuel Goldwyn Company.

DCP, color, 103 min. Director/screenwriter: John Sayles. Cast: Jeni Courtney, Eileen Colgan, Mick Lally, Richard Sheridan, John Lynch.