|
Jig
| Released |
6 May 2011 |
| Director |
Sue Bourne |
| Producer(s) |
Sue Bourne |
| Origin |
United Kingdom |
| Running Time |
97 minutes |
| Genre |
Documentary |
| Rating |
PG |
|
|
Trip the light fantastic.
A documentary about Irish dancing might seem to be a minority’s cup of tea but this little gem was quite a surprise. Although the film is about a specialist subject, universally relatable human issues of dedication, family, love, sacrifice and passion are what shine through.
Jig offers a fascinating insight into the world of competitive Irish dancing focusing on a group of dancers from all over the world in the lead up to the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships in Glasgow. We are privy to the dancers practice regimes, we meet their parents and we ultimately witness the competition itself.
Beautifully shot and tender in places the documentary will captivate you while tugging at your heartstrings. You become attached to the dancers and root for them throughout the film. There were some touching scenes of unconditional love and sacrifice shown by the dancers’ parents which I have to admit had me blubbing like an idiot. One family even upped sticks from California to England to send their son to the best dance school. Mental, especially when you consider the weather.
The subjects themselves were a great bunch of characters and a joy to watch. They were open, honest and candid throughout and their rich diversity in terms of age, socio-economic status, background and nationality made for compelling viewing. Brogan from Derry was my favourite; the girl was intelligent, compassionate and just plain adorable. I wanted her to win so badly I was a bag of nerves watching the competition!
Filmmaker Sue Bourne is skilled in fostering a sense of empathy in the audience. She handled the subject matter insightfully and compassionately while making this relatively unknown subject thought-provoking.
Jig is a different kind of film from the usual stuff out there. It’s a feel good film about everyday people. It’s packed full of heart and dare I say there’s a bit of suspense in there too. In fact I defy you not to be on the edge of your seat when the scores are called out at the Championships. Go on, give Jig a whirl.
- Cynthia Bifolchi |
