The Job of Songs is an intimate film about the musicians of County Clare, Ireland. At the ends of the earth, teetering on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher and the first to break the stormy Atlantic winds, is the small village of Doolin. Travelers from all over the world gather in the local pubs, hoping to connect with their Irish heritage through traditional music. But things are changing: facing rapid modernization at the hands of tourism, confronting depression and mental health issues, and grappling with a history of colonization and oppression, the people of Doolin turn to music to find solace.
The Job of Songs is Lila Schmitz feature directorial debut. She came across Doolin while visiting her Irish relatives, and the music captivated her so fully that The Job of Songs came into being. Her short music documentary Jaiel aired on Rocky Mountain PBS, as did her short fiction film Queer Qafé. Her latest short film love in the time of corona screened this year at NewFest, aGLIFF/Prism Film Festival, the Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival, and Desperado LGBTQ Film Festival.
Join us for a special screening of this new documentary seldom seen outside of Ireland, in the Michael Flanagan Irish Music Heritage Theater in the museum followed by a Q&A with director and writer Lila Schmitz. Tickets are available for Purchase Here and at the door.
This film is the first of The Brendan Fahy Bequette Filmmakers Series, whose family are endowing this series to help showcase young or emerging artists, as was Brendan before Covid and then cancer ended his career. Brendan graduated from Ithaca College in 2018, where he majored in Cinema and Photography, so we will be showcasing work that he would have loved and been inspired by.