More Festroia

Festroia - 25th Anniversary

My wife is on her way...

... finally.

We weren't able to make the journey to Portugal together (meaning on the same flight) and my poor wife and her fellow passengers had to endure 12 hours of airport hell yesterday (sitting on the airplane for two hours due to a mechanical delay, passengers then asked to depart the plane to wait for the mechanics to repair the problem, no answer as to when they would be leaving, waiting for a spare part to be flown in from another country, no effort to re-book, having the airline staff disappear for several hours because they couldn't provide any answers or alternative solutions, passengers told they would be leaving at 4 p.m. - which was seven hours after her original departure time, and finally... the flight was again delayed and then ultimately cancelled).

Not to minimize the 12 hours of waiting she endured at the airport I think the most frustrating aspect was the rudeness and poor customer service provided by the staff of the airline.

She was re-booked on a similar itinerary for today and though there was another hiccup involving the same airline I can thankfully say she is now on her way.

I won't mention the airline but I can assure you that she (and I) will not likely be flying that airline ever again...

I'm looking forward to her safe arrival.

Festroia Film Festival - Saturday

The opening ceremony of this year's festival was last night.

This is kind of an in-between year for the festival as their main venue, the Luísa Todi Municipal Forum, is in the middle of an extensive renovation and will not be used this year.

Instead, a giant black (and thankfully air-conditioned) tent will play host to the majority of the films this year. Though only a tent we can take a measure of comfort that it is situated in front of the Convent of Jesus, which is one of the first works of Manueline-style (Portuguese late-Gothic) architect Diogo de Boitaca, who is responsible for the design of the Hieronymites Monastery in Lisbon (classified as a World Heritage Site in 1983).

Difficult global economic conditions have certainly impacted this year's Festroia festival as well. The festival organizers are making the most with far fewer resources this year. This is a much smaller festival than others I've attended recently, however, the festival staff has been wonderful, very personable and most friendly.

I'm looking forward to the 13 films in Official Competition...

Reeling in the Years - 1980

Continuing through the years, these were the topics covered on the half-hour focusing on the year 1980, the beginning of my favorite decade:

Charles Haughey takes centre stage at his first Ard Fheis as Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fail.

Hundreds of thousands of PAYE workers march to demand tax reform. It is the biggest demonstration of organised labour in the history of the Irish state.

A Dublin court cancels a Boomtown Rats concert because of fears for crowd safety. Singer Bob Geldof rejects the court's decision. The battle goes on for two weeks. The Rats finally play at Leixlip Castle to fourteen thousand fans.....Bob Geldof claims victory.

Afghanistan: as the Soviet military occupation continues, US President Carter puts on the pressure. The Moscow Olympic Games are threatened...
...but the International Olympic Committee stands firm. The USA and several other Western nations boycott the Moscow Olympic Games.

Eurovision Song Contest: Johnny Logan wins for Ireland with Shay Healy's "What's Another Year?"

Derrynaflan: using a metal detector, an amateur archaeologist discovers an eighth century chalice.

Irish Television has a new star: Dermot Morgan is 'Father Trendy'.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher flies in for a series of Anglo-Irish talks, described jointly as 'extremely constructive and significant'.

London: The SAS end a six- day siege of the Iranian Embassy. They kill four terrorists and free nineteen hostages.

The Middle East. An attempted US military rescue of American hostages in Iran ends in disaster. The region grows more unstable as war breaks out between Iran and Iraq.

El Salvador: Archbishop Oscar Romero is murdered. He has been an outspoken defender of human rights. His funeral becomes a scene of carnage: 40 people die and 200 are injured.

Ireland gets a new drama series and a new sex symbol. Gabriel Byrne wins a Jacob's Award, as do Mick Lally, Marian Finucane and Mike Murphy.

But 1980's biggest TV question is: "Who Shot JR?"
(Answer: Kirsten, Sue-Ellen's sister)

Poland: The workers unite against the Communist government. Lech Walesa leads the trade union 'Solidarity'.

Seventeen people die when the Dublin-Cork train is derailed at Buttevant, Co. Cork.

Former Beatle John Lennon is murdered in New York.

Republican prisoners go on hunger strike in the H Blocks. After the intervention of Catholic clergy, the strike is called off. The prisoners have not won any concessions.

When an IRA landmine kills three UDR soldiers, the Troubles' death toll reaches 2,000

Reeling in the Years - 1970

One of my favorite programs on Irish television is a 30-minute program called "Reeling in the Years." Each program focuses on one year of Irish history -- the politics, impactful societal changes, the cultural issues, the arts, sport, The Troubles, etc. This is fascinating for me as a recent transplant to be exposed to these rich lessons in Irish history.

This is a summary of topics from the show highlighting the year 1970:

Dublin enters the 1970s with a thriving 'night club' scene.

The ill-fated Apollo 13 mission blasts off for the moon.An onboard explosion threatens disaster and death. After a 250,000-mile journey, the astronauts return safely to earth.

Pele makes his mark as Brazil wins the 1970 World Cup.

Ireland's Catholic bishops agree to lift the Church ban which prevents its members from attending Trinity College, Dublin.

Eamon and Sinead de Valera celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Dublin's new 'Dandelion Market' opens for business.

A Derry teenager represents Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Dana wins with 'All Kinds Of Everything'. Ireland celebrates its first-ever Eurovision Song Contest victory.

In Nigeria, Biafran rebels surrender to the federal army. The war for Biafra's independence has gone on for over two years . More than one million people have died from starvation alone.

The U.S. continues to withdraw its own combat troops from Vietnam. It gives it's South Vietnamese allies a bigger role in the war.

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, OHIO 4 May .

U.S. National Guardsmen open fire on anti-war protestors. Four people are killed.

U.S. President Richard Nixon visits Ireland in October .There are anti-war protests at the American Embassy.

Refugee camps remain open in the South to deal with the influx of Northern Catholics fleeing the Troubles.

Increased sectarian rioting and intimidation force hundreds of people to leave their homes forever. There are widespread riots and nightly gun battles.

JORDAN. Arab hijackers force three aircraft to land in a remote airstrip. Hundreds of passengers and crew are held hostage. After Western countries release several Palestinian prisoners, the hijackers free their hostages and blow up the empty planes.

In Dublin, anti-apartheid protestors greet the South African rugby tour. Lansdowne Road has a cordon of Gardai and barbed wire. Ireland draw 9-9 with the Springboks.

Cork are All-Ireland hurling champions.

Kerry beat Meath in the football.

Events in the North bring political scandal to the South. Charles Haughey is sacked as Minister for Finance. Neil Blaney is also dismissed from Cabinet. Taoiseach Jack Lynch accuses them of being involved in a plan to import arms illegally.

Although all the defendants are acquitted and freed, the Arms Crisis leads to a bitter power struggle within Fianna Fail.

Festroia International Film Festival

A blessing has come my way as I have been asked to be an independent jury member (SIGNIS) for the Festroia Film Festival in Setubal, Portugal.

The festival runs from September 4th thru September 13th and focuses mainly on films from countries that release comparitively few films annually (i.e. there are no films in the official competition from countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Spain, U.K., Russia, U.S., etc.).

I'm looking forward to this wonderful opportunity and will post more about the films and the festival in the near future...