North Circular

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1:39

North Circular

Released Jul 28, 2023

1h 25m

Documentary

Music

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100%

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8 Reviews

67%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

North Circular is a documentary musical that travels the length of Dublin's North Circular Road, from the Phoenix Park to Dublin Port, exploring the history, music and streetscapes of a street that links some of the country's most beloved and infamous places. Told in black and white 4:3 Academy ratio, the film evokes many narratives from the history of the city and nation, from colonialism, to mental health, to the struggle for women’s liberation while also engaging with urgent issues of today, including the battle to save the legendary Cobblestone Pub, center of Dublin's recent folk revival, from destruction at the hands of cynical property developers. The film also includes musical performances from artists local to the North Circular, including John Francis Flynn, Séan Ó Túama, Eoghan O'Ceannabháin, Ian Lynch & Gemma Dunleavy.

Ben Kenigsberg

New York Times

The film has an original and at times disarming approach to bearing witness.

Jul 27, 2023

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

A film made with real artistry.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 30, 2022

Full Review

Joey Keogh

Vague Visages

North Circular feels slightly unfocused at times, but this is likely intentional given how tough it is to nail down one definitive take on what it means to be from this area.

Aug 7, 2023

Full Review

Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

A mesmerizing, poignant and exhilarating musical journey that captures the culture and history of North Circular Road and the inner-city of Dublin.

Jul 29, 2023

Full Review

Calan Panchoo

Film Threat

North Circular is a heartfelt feature, involved and thoughtful.

Rated: 7.5/10

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Chris Wasser

Sunday Independent (Ireland)

There’s a lot in here, and McManus’s film is a tad sketchy in parts. Just as one story takes shape, it moves on to the next. Maybe that’s intentional. Whatever the case, the trad and folk interludes make all the difference.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 9, 2022

Full Review

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Annamaria B

Brilliant documentary for anyone who grew up on or near North Circular Road, I have fond memories of my youth there. I Highly recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/07/24

Full Review

Tom F

A beautiful film exploring place and time in North Dublin. I am local to the area, so perhaps I am biased (or a harsh critic?), either way, I thought North Circular was a thoughtful and beautifully shot piece of work that captured the city, or at least some aspects of the city, wonderfully well. Lovely to look at and lovely to listen to. Up the Dubs!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

Full Review

Marie M

This film is shameful, exploitative and rambling. It was incredibly non-representative of the communities it reported to portray. The portrayal of these communities was deeply biased and negative. The film lacked structure and was misleading at times. Furthermore, it was geographically inaccurate and took too many liberties. (Ironically, most of the film wasn't actually based on the North Circular Road.) The half star was for the music, which was the film's only saving grace.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/06/23

Full Review

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Luke McManus

Director

Gemma Dunleavy

Self

Lisa O'Neill

Self

John Francis Flynn

Self

Ian Lynch

Self

Willa White

Self

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North Circular: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

North Circular is a documentary musical that travels the length of Dublin's North Circular Road, from the Phoenix Park to Dublin Port, exploring the history, music and streetscapes of a street that links some of the country's most beloved and infamous places. Told in black and white 4:3 Academy ratio, the film evokes many narratives from the history of the city and nation, from colonialism, to mental health, to the struggle for women’s liberation while also engaging with urgent issues of today, including the battle to save the legendary Cobblestone Pub, center of Dublin's recent folk revival, from destruction at the hands of cynical property developers. The film also includes musical performances from artists local to the North Circular, including John Francis Flynn, Séan Ó Túama, Eoghan O'Ceannabháin, Ian Lynch & Gemma Dunleavy.

Director: Luke McManus
Producer: Elaine Gallagher, Luke McManus
Screenwriter: Luke McManus, Luke McManus
Distributor: Lightdox
Production Co: Madhouse Films
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 2023, Limited
Runtime: 1h 25m