Irish Ayes: A Survey of Irish Cinema

On Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, Boston is known as “the next parish over,” a wry acknowledgment of the deep historical ties forged by generations of Irish migration to Boston and beyond. 

Today, that traffic runs both ways, with Americans increasingly drawn to Ireland. In filmmaking, too, what once felt like a one-way passage from Hollywood to Ireland has become a lively exchange, with an extraordinary wave now flowing in the opposite direction. Irish actors have become a major presence on our screens — Colin Farrell, Andrew Scott, Saoirse Ronan, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and 2024 Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy, to name but a few. 

In this six-week course, we’ll take a sweeping look at a selection of outstanding Irish films, examining not only their artistic merits but also the historical, social, religious, and cultural contexts that shaped them. We’ll explore the enduring Irish–American cinematic connection as well, and consider how it continues to enrich filmmaking on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Classes are only available for purchase as a package, not as individual sessions.

ABOUT KAJ WILSON 

This is Instructor Kaj Wilson’s fifteenth Coolidge Corner Theatre film course. She has also taught at The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) and other nonprofit organizations, conducted film seminars, and moderated panels throughout the Boston area. Kaj served as Artistic Director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival for twelve years and as Film Editor of The Improper Bostonian. She pursued a Master’s degree in Film Studies at Boston University’s College of Communication. Her awards include the Women in Film and Video/New England Image Award for Vision and Excellence and a Special Commendation from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Currently, she serves on several grant committees, co-writes film-related articles for Newton’s online Fig City News, and attends the Toronto International Film Festival for fun and inspiration.