A 200-year-old courtyard at Westport House built by the 2nd Marquess of Sligo will be transformed into a state-of-the-art drive-in movie theatre for a series of screenings of classic movies as part of the Westport Arts Festival. This year there are 10 feature films on show so there is definitely something for everyone, from the epic western Once Upon a Time in the West to the equally epic science fiction spectacular 2001: A Space Odyssey. For the romantics there will be the timeless Casablanca and perennial favourite Dirty Dancing.
For a laugh there will be the turned-up-to-eleven mockumentary This is Spinal Tap and the dark yet life-affirming Harold and Maude. For fright fans there will be the classic terror of Jaws and the disturbing Dutch psychological thriller Spoorloos, a film that can be described as a genuine horror.
For the young and young at heart there will be classic Disney animation The Jungle Book, which will be preceded by Murder on Strange Street, a short film shot in the grounds nearby which was written, shot, and edited by the stars - children from the town.
Little Matador is the opening movie, introducing Westport audiences to local filmmaker Sandra Jordan's fascinating documentary about bullfighters in Mexico. These are no ordinary bullfighters, these are children, as young as eight, who are trained to kill bulls one hundred times their weight. Little Matador is an intense portrayal of children’s courage that is at once harrowing, beautiful, and utterly compelling.
The drive-in movie series runs from Friday September 23 to Sunday October 2. All screenings commence at 7.30pm in the Courtyard behind Gracie's bar at Westport House. Admission is free, but ticketed. Parking spaces costing €20 are optional and may also be reserved online. The film soundtrack will be broadcast on FM radio.
