The Wake

A woman’s reflection on her life is expressed through poetic voiceover and dance.

In a light-filled period mansion, a woman (Olwen Fouéré) reflects on her life, her sexuality and moments of great joy and sadness – her memories are articulated by a troupe of women of various ages through the eloquent language of dance. When the woman passes away, she is waked by the dancers and animated afresh in a vigorous, liberating ritual involving fire and water.

Oonagh Kearney’s stunning film weaves together the art of dance (in the choreography of Cindy Cummings in collaboration with the director and cast); of music (in Linda Buckley’s ethereal score); and of cinema, to explore women’s experience, silence, domestic enclosure, the potent power of memory and the possibility of liberation.

The filmmakers would like to dedicate this film’s inclusion in the F-Rated Collection to Emma O’Kane.

This film is part of F-Rated: Short Films by Irish Women. To view more from the collection click here.