The 2016 Belgrade Irish Festival (BIF), the 4th edition in festival’s journey to introduce, share and experiment multi-disciplinary Irish arts in the fertile ground of Belgrade and it will take place in several city locations from March 14th to March 22nd.
One hundred years ago, the 1916 “Rising” was the decisive moment in which a symbolic and yet very real armed rebellion led to the holy grail of Irish independence, banishing unwelcome neighborly dominance (in 1921) from most of the island of Ireland. It was a striking achievement after generational struggles for some 700 years. These historic events are remembered in this year’s festival, through a 1916 component of film and documentaries, a live simulcast reaching out to Irish diaspora as well as a series of short films on 1916 by contemporary Irish filmmakers, and talks.
BIF 2016 features the launch of the successful Irish film, Room, the premier of Stag, and One Million Dubliners about Ireland’s most famous graveyard. Two Irish documentaries peer into aspects of connections between Ireland and Yugoslavia; one of them, Hubert Butler; Witness to the Future (2016), had its genesis at a BIF lecture on this outstanding Irish essayist at Belgrade University (Faculty of Philology) in 2014.
St Patrick’s day (March 17th) will be celebrated worldwide as well as in Belgrade with song and merriment, especially after sunset when the National Parliament, Palace Albania, Hotel Moskva and Ada Bridge will be illuminated in green! Events will reach a climax with the performance of an edgy Irish cabaret, The Whistling Girl.
The Irish know no boundaries when it comes to celebrating St Patrick’s Day! Originally a day off from fasting during lent, today they celebrate their national saint, St Patrick, with Ireland making a genuine bid to make the March 17th a global day of merriment and happiness – with celebrations taking place throughout the globe and even on occasions on the International Space Station!
