Once

Winner of the Audience Award at last year’s JDIFF, John Carney’s charming musical has gone on to break box-office records around the world. Even the great Stephen Spielberg has been reported as declaring that the film gave him enough inspiration to last the rest of the year. The story of a Dublin busker, who ekes out a living repairing vacuum cleaners who meets a young, Czech immigrant who sells roses on the same street and the course of their love affair over a week, vis infused with an emotional honesty that bewitches its audience, filled with heartbreaking songs performed by lead actors Glen Hansard of much loved The Frames and Marketa Irglova, a Czech singer/ songwriter.

The festival has chosen to present Once as tribute to the cinematographer Tim Fleming who is recognised this year as part of our Irish talent Spotlight, whose graceful photography brings a special glow to the slow burning romance, while also capturing a contemporary Dublin in all of its melancholy glory. It is also a been screened as part of our Music on Film season, the Once soundtrack which Hansard co-wrote with Irglová has gone double platinum in Australia and Korea, he is up for two Grammy nominations and rumour has it two songs from the film are in contention for the Best Song Oscar.

Gráinne Humphreys