May Screenings

Bealtaine, the May-time festival, celebrating creativity in older age is bringing the film Ladies in Lavender to locations through out Kerry in conjunction with the Arts Office of Kerry County Council. The Festival which has grown every year since its inception in 1996, covers all art forms including theatre, literature, dance, film, storytelling, music, painting and sculpture while also offering debates and critical events has over 1,000 events in the national programme in the 26 counties created by over 260 event organizers. But that's a little too much to cover in one small article so let's look at the film!

Set in a close knit Cornish community in 1936 the film centres around two spinster sisters, Ursula and Janet Widdington, played by those two Dames of English acting, Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith and Andrea, a handsome young Polish-Jewish violinist who is washed ashore.

Ursula and Janet take him to him immediately and the film unfolds to a cacophony of jealousies and rivalries as the two Dames act each other off the screen! Ursula become infatuated with Andrea and her story is so lovingly, so empathically, so convincingly portrayed by Judi Dench while Ursula provides the perfect foil in a role perfectly suited to Maggie Smith. Their performances alone would be worth the entrance fee except that the movies are completely free - so you've no excuse not to go!

Ladies in Lavender will screen at the following locations during the month of May:

TRALEE LIBRARY: Wednesday, 16th May at 11a.m. and 3p.m.
KILLARNEY LIBRARY: Thursday, 17th May at 11a.m.
CAHERCIVEEN LIBRARY: Friday, 18th May at 11a.m. and 2.30p.m.

For more information please contact Kerry County Council Arts Office on 066 718 3500 or log onto www.kerrycoco.ie

For more information on some of the wonderful events which are taking place in Kerry as part of Bealtaine Festival please get in touch with the following groups:
Ballybunion Active Retirement Group - Marian Moloney 068 25804; Ballyduff Active Retirement - Bob Scott 066 714 8103; Sean Chairde - South Kerry Older People's Network - Maura Fitzgerald 066 976 6017; Tralee Older People's Forum - Mary O Brien 066 718 0190; Tralee Probus Clubs - Donal O Sullivan 066 712 5696