Glenafooka: The Glen of the Ghost 2000
Distributed by First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Black Witch Films
Directed by Mary Sue Connolly
VHS, color, 31 min.
College - Adult
Mythology, History, Religion
Date Entered: 09/12/2007
Reviewed by Susanne Boatright, Library, Blue River Community College, one of the Metropolitan Community Colleges, Kansas City, MOThis film is an amusing, quirky, totally unselfconscious look at the folklore of the people of Ireland. Glenafooka is located in County Waterford near Clonea. Gleann an phuca actually means Glen of the fairy or sprite. The dividing line between ghosts and fairies is nebulous in Irish mythology.
The movie documents the history of the folklore and superstitions of Irish culture from the past to the present, using commentary by writers, historians, artists, nuns and folklore scholars as well as interviews with the elderly local people who live in the areas surrounding Glenafooka. Black and white images effectively blend with vivid color shots of the Irish countryside and Irish rural dwellings to produce an eerie atmospheric effect.
We learn of the legend of Saint Brigid, of the origins of the feast of Samhain, the history of the Tuatha de Danaan, the folklore of banshees, the strengths of healing wells and of widow’s curses, white eels in sacred wells and the mysteries surrounding the standing stones, to mention just a few of many rural customs and traditions. Discussion revolves around rituals and customs as they were observed in the past and continue to be observed today.
Although the information provided by the writers and scholars is useful in explaining Irish cosmology, it is the interviews with the elderly residents which steal the show. The camera does an excellent job of capturing their authenticity, their wit, and their inexhaustible good humor, which bubbles beneath the surface of every conversation like the springs all over Ireland. They are the people who have preserved the traditions and beliefs of rural Ireland. The film shows considerable integrity by presenting them exactly as they are, without any apparent editorial coaching or cosmetic enhancements. They are simply wonderful and the film is, in fact, dedicated to their memories
This film is highly recommended for any library collection or educational institution offering classes in folklore or mythology. However, you don’t have to be a student to enjoy it! Any American with Irish roots would find this an enchanting glimpse of Irish rural society.