January’s Ireland on Sunday screening ,Gerard Hurley’s second feature film The Pier, is a finely-observed, quietly uplifting tale of a returning emigrant coming to terms with his past.
After 20 years of no contact with his father, Jack McCarthy (played by Hurley) travels from New York to his father Larry’s death bed in Cork. Upon arrival he is furious to discover his father is alive and well and has duped him into returning home. Soon, father and son are entangled in a painful battle of wills and Jack’s only relief is in the company of an attractive American tourist, played by the luminous Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under).
Cork-born Gerard Hurley emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1987 and has been involved in screen writing and film production for the past 20 years. He will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Ireland on Sunday is the IFI’s monthly showcase of new Irish film.
Tickets for The Pier (+ Q&A with Gerard Hurley) are available from the IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 or online at www.ifi.ie.
