La Zona next up at Ballina Film Club
Ballina Film Club’s Spring Programme continues this week with La Zona, on Tuesday March 10 at 8pm. Directed by Rodrigo Plá, La Zona follows the adventures of three teenagers from the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks, as they enter the wealthy residential estate of Mexico City’s ‘The Zone’. They’re ill-prepared for what awaits them. For The Zone is a world unto itself, protected by high gates and private security guards that attempt to keep the poverty that surrounds the estate at bay. As their break-in goes badly wrong, the boys panic and suddenly there’s a dead body and a maid fleeing in fear. In the altercation that follows, two of the assailants are killed but the third, Miguel, is able to flee. What he soon learns is that the laws of the land don’t apply in The Zone, from which there is probably no escape.
Uruguayan-born director Rodrigo Plá’s terrific film is a taut social thriller and a remarkable study of two polarised Mexican communities that are mutually suspicious. Plá offers a telling warning of the dangers of segregation in all its shapes and forms. Admission is €7.
Time to Fly training centre exhibition at Ballina Arts Centre
Ballina Arts Centre commissioned a research project in 2005 to identify special needs groups interested in the arts and in particular groups interested in working with the arts centre. Ballina Training Centre participated in this project and were extremely enthusiastic and sourced the Westport-based artist Claire Griffin to work with them. The workshops with Claire took place over a two year period until June 2008.
The workshops were facilitated in a studio environment where the participants are worked with as artists with artist quality materials, the quality of the finished work certainly reflects this considering that many of the participants are first time artists. The work of 15 of the participants is reflected in this exhibition. Free admission. All are welcome to attend, exhibition runs until March 28.
Delia Murphy to be celebrated at Ballina Arts Centre
Ballina Arts Centre will be the venue for a unique celebration of the life of singer Delia Murphy on Thursday March 26 at 8pm. I’ll live ‘til I die: A celebration in story and song of the iconic Delia Murphy will be a night of stories and songs made famous by Delia. Presented by Aidan O’Hara (RTÉ’s Fáilte Isteach, and author of the popular biography on Delia I’ll live ‘til I die ), the evening will feature songs such as ‘The Spinning Wheel’ and ‘If I were a Blackbird’, sung by Joyce O’Hara and accompanied by Aidan. Reading and commentary by Carmen Cullen niece of Delia Murphy, and author of poetry books and children’s dramatist, from her novel Two Sisters Singing, a family memoir with a fictional base inspired by the personality of her famous aunt. Delia Murphy (born February 16 1902 in Claremorris, Co Mayo, died February 1971 in Dublin ) was a world famous singer and collector of Irish ballads. Admission is €10 or €8 with concession.
