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The Days of Trees
Face the Dark, Find the Dawn
Saturday 20 April – IFTA awards 2024.
WINNER – George Morrison Feature Documentary category.
‘poetic and rigorous’
‘a remarkable documentary’
‘All of Ireland should watch it. The world should watch it. Every viewer would be more human for it.’
‘powerful, strong, inspiring’
In cinemas April – May 2024
IFI Dublin · Pálás Galway · EYE Galway · Triskel Cork
& selected cinemas
Book Tickets:
IFI, Dublin: 12 – 18 April
Pálás, Galway: from Fri 19 April
EYE, Galway: from Sat 20 April
April Diary
Director Alan Gilsenan and producer Tomás Hardiman, pictured at the IFTAs with the award for the George Morrison Feature Documentary 2024 for their film The Days of Trees.
Saturday 20 April – IFTA awards 2024. WINNER – George Morrison Feature Documentary category.
Friday 19 April – Opens at Pálás, Galway. A Q&A with Tomás Hardiman and Alan Gilsenan, moderated by Ruairí McKiernan follows the screening on Friday 19
Sunday 14 April – A Q&A with Alan Gilsenan and Tomás Hardiman, hosted by Brendan O’Connor (RTÉ) follows the 17:40 screening at the IFI
Saturday 13 April, 11am – Tomás Hardiman and Alan Gilsenan talk about The Days of Trees with Brendan O’Connor on his RTÉ Radio 1 show (33mins approx). Listen back on RTE.ie or listen on Apple Podcasts
Friday 12 April – opens at the IFI
Synopsis
In this highly original feature documentary, Tomás, a middle-aged film producer, embarks on a journey of discovery with his friend and colleague, film director, Alan. As they progress, we witness first-hand Tomás’s unearthing of fresh and startling childhood happenings which had somehow eluded his memory. What follows is a profound pilgrimage towards uncovering how sporadic crises in adulthood, amidst an otherwise ‘normal’ life, had their roots in sophisticated sexual abuse by Christian Brothers in the late 1960s.
There is considerable beauty in this psychological excavation, the shadowy black and white palette lending intimacy to the unflinchingly honest testimony. This is the story of a man, not seeking vengeance, but seeking to transcend the trauma of his troubled past, ultimately finding redemption.
The Days of Trees reunites director Alan Gilsenan and producer Tomás Hardiman to complete the third in their loose trilogy with the acclaimed Meetings with Ivor and The Meeting.
Saturday 20 April – IFTA awards 2024. WINNER – George Morrison Feature Documentary category.
Wed 17 April
Alan Gilsenan talks about The Days of Trees with Gemma Creagh on the Film Ireland podcast 47mins approx
Sat 13 April
Tomás Hardiman and Alan Gilsenan talk about The Days of Trees with Brendan O’Connor on his RTÉ Radio 1 show. Listen on RTE.ie 33mins approx
Fri 12 April
Alan Gilsenan on The Days of Trees – Paul Whitington writes in The Irish Independent
Thur 11 April 2024
RTÉ Arena 4.5 star review (review starts at 23:52)
Sat 18 November 2023
The story behind the making of the film in The Irish Times
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Parzival presents an Alan Gilsenan film ‘THE DAYS OF TREES’ with Tomás Hardiman Editor Bjorn Mac Giolla Cinematography Alan Gilsenan
Original Music Rory White Sound Recordist John Brennan Sound Design and Mix Rob Flynn Graphic Design John Foley Assistant Producer Zoë Daly
Directed by Alan Gilsenan Produced by Tomás Hardiman a Parzival production with the participation of The Broadcasting Authority Of Ireland and DCTV
The Days of Trees completes a loose trilogy of films which also includes Meetings with Ivor and The Meeting