Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village

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Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village

2016

1h 20m

Documentary

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67%

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6 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The position of the church in modern Ireland.

Tara Brady

Irish Times

Engaging but not entirely satisfying.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2017

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Stephen Porzio

Film Ireland Magazine

It’s an impressive work in the sense that it tackles very weighty and complex issues such as faith, the commercialisation of religion, the child-sex abuse scandals, abortion and homophobia while still retaining a certain lightness.

Aug 19, 2024

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Katy Hayes

Sunday Times (UK)

Being the format used for the Glasnevin film, it should work equally well, but film-making, like religious apparitions, is a mysterious process: you create the same conditions but the vision doesn't materialise.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 21, 2017

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Aine O'Connor

Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village, the title taken from a British newspaper headline at the time, offers a fascinating and fair insight into the village which has grown around the events of 1879.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 29, 2016

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Paul Whitington

Irish Independent

Strange Occurrences doesn't set out to poke fun, but instead lets Knock and its devotees speak for themselves, sometimes to their detriment.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 29, 2016

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RTÉ (Ireland)

Aoife Kelleher's documentary is sprinkled with a range of other vignettes of faith, heart and humour but the main focus is on the characters both local and pilgrim alike.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 25, 2016

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Audience Member

This is easily one of the worst religious documentaries of all time (I have seen a fair share). I picked it up in the Knock bookstore, thinking that it must be a decent film if it's sold and even prominently displayed there. I was sorely disappointed. The filmmakers completely fail to come to grips with the meaning or theological significance of Knock. Of course, a documentary filmmaker need not believe or fully comprehend a religious subject, but this film does not seem interested whatsoever in the message of Knock. Even if you think it's a load of you-know-what, there is still a message to be explored. This is Religious Studies 101. Knock, arguably, is a sort of "code" about the holy Eucharist: the Catholic Mass that was banned under pain of death by the Protestant English, for which many an Irish priest and laymen gave up their very lives. Anyhow, a singularly unsatisfying and rather boring effort.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Aoife Kelleher

Director

Rachel Lysaght

Writer

Lindsay Campbell

Producer

Rachel Lysaght

Producer

James Mitchell

Executive Producer

Rachel Lysaght

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

The position of the church in modern Ireland.

Director: Aoife Kelleher
Producer: Lindsay Campbell, Rachel Lysaght
Screenwriter: Rachel Lysaght
Production Co: Underground Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2017
Runtime: 1h 20m

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