US PREMIERE Edna O'Brien wrote a sexually charged 1960 debut novel, The Country Girls, becoming a literary sensation and awakening the wrath of patriarchal religious Ireland where the novel and its sequels were banned and burned. This inspiring film portrays O’Brien’s final testimonies at age 93, and brings her diaries to life, revealing her extraordinary experiences in Ireland, London, and New York, where Vanity Fair referred to her as “the playgirl of the Western world.” O’Brien hosted star-studded parties, wrote for The New York Times and published dozens of books and screenplays, influencing a generation of writers in Ireland and abroad. - Ruth Somalo
The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Sinead O'Shea.
All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.