Cá ndeachaigh Mé? (Where did I go?) is a five-minute, 16mm experimental film which delves into how emigration can transform our sense of self, sometimes requiring us to leave not only our home geographically but also linguistically. The film follows a young couple’s emotional journey from the countryside of Donegal to Glasgow, as they navigate new cultural landscapes. Through a dynamic and poignant soundscape, the film highlights the challenges that come with moving and acclimatising to a new place, and how this often lead to a morphing of both identity and relationships.
The piece was filmed in September 2022 in Gortahork, County Donegal and Glasgow, Scotland. It was directed by Fionnuala McCormack and produced by Northern Irish Arts Organisation Dumbworld with Lia Campbell working as the lead producer. The project was funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Meath County Council Arts Office, and Creative Ireland.
Screenings:
14.11. – Nuremburg, Casablanca Filmkunsttheater (alongside the feature film An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl))
06.12., 8pm – Cologne, ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln (alongside the feature film Silence), and followed by a Q&A with the director Fionnuala McCormack
12.12., 7pm – Berlin, Oblamov for GRRL HAUS Cinema Festival, followed by a Q&A with co-creator Étáin Sweeney
Tuilleadh eolaisFionnuala McCormack is a Belfast-based artist with a background in documentary and visual arts. She was a selected participant in the 25th Ji.Hlava Academy, where she worked under the guidance of esteemed experimental director Khavn De La Cruz. Her project, Cá nDeachaigh Mé (Where Did I Go?), is a 16mm film visual arts piece which has been exhibited at the Cathedral Arts Quarter Festival and the Earagail Arts Festival in 2023. Her latest visual arts project, I’m Your Baby was shot on a mixed medium on 8mm film and digital and is a textured unravelling of multiple female experiences with sexual messaging and sexual abuse.