The Queen of Ireland

2015

1 hr. 22 min.

Biography

Documentary

List

92%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

The life of Irish drag queen Panti Bliss.

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Premiered Jul 01

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Audience Member

I chanced upon this charming documentary in the Pride section of my In-Flight Entertainment, and after viewing The Queen of Ireland, I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who has similarly missed it when it first came out in 2015. This is part lesson on Irish LGBT history and part personal story about drag queen Panti Bliss (aka Rory O'Neill)'s growing up different/gay in a small town and how (s)he accidentally found her/himself engaged with gay rights activism and the role (s)he played in the referendum of 2015 that, spoiler alert, voted in favour of gay marriage in an extremely Catholic country like Ireland. Sweet and compelling at the same time, this is an uplifting and inspiring account of the struggle for equality faced by those people who are oppressed, consciously or otherwise. The film can sometimes feel more frivolous and there are areas that I would have liked to see the film delve more into, for example, how the rural community's view has changed as a result of the way they voted but the insightful and articulate way Panti gets her emotional message across is simply too mesmerizing and powerful to ignore.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fabulous documentary on a drag queen who became a political force for change

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Like most documentaries based around a single personality, it's a bit episodic; the early segments in particular can vary in interest level and occasionally veer in the wrong direction (you can't help thinking that how an insulated small-town boy from Ireland decides to move to Tokyo is probably more important than what happens when he gets there). The second half, on the marriage equality referendum stages a reversal as stunning as it is subtle, accomplishing the rare feat of generating suspense and anticipation about an event you already know the result of - because you only think you know how people felt about it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I just saw this at a local community screening in Ireland, which is a marker of how far Ireland has come since I grew up there in the 1970s. As Panti herself says in the film, if you're easily offended by a joke that starts "a nun with Alzheimer's forgets to walk into a lesbian bar", you're probably in the wrong place. If you're not, this film is a sheer tide of joy. Rory O'Neill aka "giant cartoon woman" Panti Bliss, became an accidental activist for LGBT equality: the film, made over years on a shoestring and eventually with help from crowdfunding, follows the life, the career, the extraordinary "Noble Call" speech on homophobia, and Ireland's eventual referendum on marriage equality. You're in the company of a performer of uncommon eloquence and an unrivalled sense of theatre the whole way though. Even if it isn't anything to do with your life, you'd have to be made of stone not to enjoy the journey.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Conor Horgan

Director

David Norris

Himself (as Senator David Norris)

Declan Buckley

Self

Phillip McMahon

Self

Una Mullally

Self

Panti Bliss

Panti Bliss

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

[A] powerful documentary.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 9, 2016

Full Review

Stephen Romei

The Australian

This is an engaging documentary about a significant moment in recent history, told via one of the larger-than-life people who helped make it happen.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 2, 2016

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

Leaving aside its importance as a historical chronicle, The Queen of Ireland is a super movie, replete with tragedy, comedy, a plucky, unlikely heroine, and a sweeping dramatic arc.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 23, 2016

Full Review

Sarah Griffin

Film Ireland Magazine

A glorious testament to a national treasure...

Mar 28, 2018

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Matt Neal

ABC Radio (Australia)

As great as this is, it's not going to persuade homophobes into understanding why allowing same-sex marriage is a good thing, but I wish it would.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 20, 2017

Full Review

Jessica Baxter

Hammer to Nail

Horgan's engaging and concisely comprehensive film tells the story of Panti's origins and how she came to be The Queen of Ireland.

Aug 7, 2017

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Synopsis

The life of Irish drag queen Panti Bliss.

Director: Conor Horgan
Executive Producer: Mary Callery, William Malone, Niamh O'Connor, Kieron J. Walsh
Screenwriter: Conor Horgan, Philip McMahon
Production Co: Blinder Films
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2018

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