三次恸哭 Three Keenings

Synopsis

Ian is a struggling actor who finds himself in the unconventional role of a professional mourner. As he tours the Northern Irish countryside, his practiced mask of apathy begins to slip amongst the humour and heartache of the local funeral circuit.

Director’s statement

Three Keenings is centered on the tradition of “keening”, a mostly forgotten form of vocal lament for the dead in Gaelic Celtic culture, where members of the community unrelated to the deceased would gather and create a tangibility to the abstract space often left by grief and express it on behalf of the family. As with many traditions and religious practices, taking a step back and looking at them through a different lens, we see the humour and at times the absurdity amongst the earnestness and ceremony. In my previous work, I have experienced how families deal with illness and death and I have witnessed how tragedy can oftentimes go hand in hand with grim humour and cynicism. I wanted to explore this feeling in making this short film.