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Rory Kiberd Michael McDermott Emer Tyrell ILLUSTR
ATION James Ashe 406 Days Director: Joe Lee Release Date: May 26 A story of persistent public defiance during a time of global still: 406 Days traces the period former Debenhams workers spent manning pickets across the country from April 2020 to May 2021. This came about following an announcement that the retailer would close all of its stores in the Republic and file for liquidation in the early days of the pandemic. Staff across the 11 stores were informed of the closures through a generic email, stating that their jobs were terminated with immediate effect. Demanding that liquidator KPMG honour the redundancy payment package promised to workers by Debenhams in 2016, the strike by former employees was sustained for 406 days, making history as the longest industrial relations dispute Ireland has witnessed to date. Directed by Joe Lee, and produced by Fergus Dowd, who also co-authored Tales from the Debenhams Picket Line, 406 Days took home the ICCL Human Rights Award at the 2023 Dublin Film Festival, alongside the award for Best Irish Documentary and the Audience Award, as testament to its impact. The documentary is told through a blend of short-form interview pieces, shot against the backdrop of quiet streets and a barren Debenhams shop floor, paired with media footage of key events as they unfolded in real time. The key success of 406 Days is that it never strays from its crucial pandemic context. The passion and conviction of each first-person perspective tethers the audience to the heart of the piece: power in the form of persistence and courage borne of community. Though the eventual outcome for the strikers was unfavourable, the achievement of those involved radiates throughout this film. As a story of comradery and perseverance, it is preserved dutifully now in storytelling, waiting to be called up on as an example and source of future inspiration. ET Full Time Director: Eric Gravel Talent: Laure Calamy Release Date: May 26 Nothing new then to find France beset by strikes at the start of Eric Gravel’s Full Time (A Plein Temps) which follows Julie’s (Laure Calamy) life as a chambermaid in a 5-star hotel and her life as a perpetual scramble to catch transport on her commute to work from outside Paris, as well as juggling an alimony, mortgage and single parenting. She leaves her house before dawn and picks up her children from a childminder in darkness. It’s full on, full time. She even has to deal with a ‘Bobby Sands’ in the hotel. Driven by a propulsive score by Irène Drésel, Full Time sets the scene of this relentless grind. The endless treadmill is highly relatable, it’s not dissimilar to Ken Loach’s profoundly moving social realism. When Julie attempts to better herself with a market research job, again she hits the wall of finding the time and the transport to make the interviews. Whilst the life of a single parent under pressure is ably illustrated by the eminently watchable Calamy (Call My Agent), there is a slight niggling sense at times that Gravel is hammering it home a little too relentlessly. It’s Run Momma Run territory without a few side streets. The film is tautly wound around Julie’s plight and mostly works because we are invested in her, rooting for that lucky break. Prepare for a pedal to the metal viewing experience. MMD Are you free? So are we! Free admission to the greatest collections of Irish heritage, culture and history in the world. Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Merrion Street, Dublin 2. Benburb Street, Dublin 7. Turlough Park, County Mayo. For further information: Tel: +353 (0) 1 6777 444 Email: info@museum.ie Visit: www.museum.ie Open: Sunday & Monday 1pm to 5pm. Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Closed: Christmas Day, St. Stephen’s Day and Good Friday.