A comment on An Cailín Ciúin
Ireland in the 80s. Nine-year-old Cáit (Catherine Clinch) lives with her four siblings and her parents in an in a little old house. The mother is busy taking care of her newborn and is pregnant with her sixth child, so she has little time for Cáit and her three older sisters. The father is rarely at home and when he is, he doesn’t do much more than complain about his children. So Cáit is mostly up to herself, because even her sisters seem to be annoyed by her when Cáit talks to them at school or needs something. Therefore, she prefers to spend her time alone and quietly in nature, escaping the tightness of her home.
To relieve her mother, Cáit is sent to live with her aunt and uncle Eibhlín and Seán. She doesn’t know them yet, but they have room for her in their large house. The two families could not be more different – the new house is bright, clean and quiet; surrounded by an idyllic landscape, where the couple takes care of their cows and collects water from a nearby well. At first, Cáit is still very quiet when she is taken by Eibhlín to the well or helping her to make dinner, and maintains a distance to her and Seán. But after some time Cáit begins to open up and seems happier than ever as the relationship with both of them gets closer. For the first time, she experiences proper care and the feeling to have a loving family, even though Cáit at a point finds out why she was really invited into the house.
Director Colm Bairéad guides slowly into the film, allowing the audience to take over Cáit’s quit and observing role. The more she opens up, the more you get in the flow of the film. Although there are some lengths in the 95 minutes, there are also enough exciting moments creating a nice dynamic, especially in the last third of the film. Catherine Clinch convinces playing Cáit by expressing her feelings on the screen, so that you can see the change of the girl.
„An Cailín Ciúin“ is based on the short story „Foster“ by Claire Keegan and shows us the importance of affection for children growing up. It tells two very different stories how to achievie a more fulfilling family situation – on the one hand, relieving family stress by giving away a child, and on the other, filling gaps by taking care of a child. Especially the last scenes of the film are very touching and make you think about what privilege it is to have a loving family. It isn’t given and such a important thing for a child growing up: A caring home; parents who can give their child time and love. Because how are they supposed to do better later in life if they have never been taught how to do?
You should definitely go watch „An Cailín Ciúin“ – a touching film with an important message.
The next screenings
Sa, 12.02.22, 14:30 Cubix 8
Su 13.02. 09:30, Filmtheater Friedrichshain,
Fr 18.02. 11:00, Urania, und
Sa 19.02. 17:00, Cubix 8
