In the emerald shadows of Ireland’s postcolonial landscape, a revolution is brewing—not in the streets, but in the songs. CELTIC UTOPIA (ÚTÓIPE CHEILTEACH), the striking new documentary from Stockholm-based filmmakers Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén, captures something extraordinary happening in Irish folk music today: a generation of artists wielding traditional melodies like weapons against complacency, creating music designed, in their own words, “to scare priests and politicians.”
World premiering in Locarno’s Critics’ Week, this isn’t your grandmother’s Celtic music. The film follows an audacious collection of musicians—The Mary Wallopers, Young Spencer, Negro Impacto, Chi-chi Enyoazu, The Deadlians, Jinx Lennon, Poor Creature, Naoise Mac Cathmhaoil, Rising Damp, Susan Hughes, and Post Punk Podge—who are reimagining what it means to be Irish in the 21st century. These artists carry both the weight of historical oppression and the electric possibility of transformation, their songs serving as both archaeological dig and battle cry.
What makes CELTIC UTOPIA particularly compelling is its refusal to romanticize Irish identity. Instead, Harvey and Lovén present a society still wrestling with its colonial wounds, where folk traditions become vessels for radical healing. The musicians featured don’t just perform; they excavate, using ancient forms to process contemporary realities and challenge existing policies with calls for more liberal attitudes.
The film’s most powerful moment might come through Young Spencer, a loyalist rapper whose complex identity embodies Ireland’s evolving sense of self. Harvey describes watching Spencer—wearing a Union Jack and Protestant regalia—touch his heart while looking at a mural of Bobby Sands, the famous hunger striker who died protesting Margaret Thatcher’s policies. “He’s a fucking legend,” Spencer says, and in that moment, the documentary captures something profound about how identity boundaries are dissolving and reforming across the island.
This isn’t nostalgia masquerading as progress. Harvey’s generation, he notes, has endured “humiliation” under the weight of postcolonial heritage, and these musicians are responding with unflinching honesty. They’re telling stories and singing songs not to preserve the past unchanged, but to understand it fully enough to transcend it. Their ballads carry the DNA of centuries-old traditions while pulsing with urgent contemporary energy.
CELTIC UTOPIA reveals how folk music has become a space for processing trauma and imagining futures. In a society where the old certainties—religious authority, political deference, cultural homogeneity—are crumbling, these artists are creating new mythologies. Their rebellion isn’t just aesthetic; it’s existential, challenging audiences to reconsider what Irish identity can become when freed from both external oppression and internal limitations.
The documentary serves as both cultural document and manifesto, proving that the most vital folk music has always been revolutionary. These artists aren’t preserving tradition; they’re liberating it, creating a soundtrack for a new Ireland that refuses to be defined by either its colonial past or its postcolonial present. In their hands, ancient melodies become vehicles for radical imagination, and the very concept of “Celtic” expands to encompass all who call this island home.
🖤⚡️ JESSIE BUCKLEY IS COMING BACK TO LIFE! ⚡️🖤
Ireland`s Irish powerhouse transforms into a Gaga-esque flapper brought back to life as the companion of Christian Bale`s creature in Maggie Gyllenhaal`s electrifying new take on THE BRIDE!
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
🌟 From THE WITCHER to DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS to EVERYTHING NOW.
Dublin`s @niamhhmccormack_ has been quietly building one of the most impressive portfolios in Irish acting.
Don`t miss her in HOUSE OF GUINNESS, now streaming on @netflix.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🌊 When Oscar-nominated Stephen Rea (THE CRYING GAME, MICHAEL COLLINS, V FOR VENDETTA) lends his legendary voice to a haunting tale of shipwreck and survival, you know something magical is about to happen.
📍 @irishculturalcentre, Hammersmith
🗓️ November 8-9 ONLY
🎭 Don`t miss this exclusive London run!
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 Cillian Murphy is absolutely unstoppable right now!
Three incredible performances in a row: Oscar winner OPPENHEIMER ✨ SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE 💫 and now STEVE - a powerhouse drama about a school headteacher fighting his own demons while saving troubled kids.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
THE WEIR is haunting London`s Harold Pinter Theatre until 6 Dec, and it`s pure magic. Brendan Gleeson makes his West End debut alongside an incredible cast in Conor McPherson`s modern masterpiece - with the playwright himself directing for the first time!
"It`s already a classic in the canon of world theatre," says Seán McGinley, and honestly? We believe him. Sometimes the most powerful stories happen over a pint, in the space between words, where kindness becomes community.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🏆 IRISH TALENT TAKES TORONTO!
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal just won BIG at TIFF with HAMNET - snagging the People`s Choice Award that`s basically an Oscar crystal ball ✨
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From strolling London`s Highbury Fields to stepping into Paul McCartney`s shoes 🎸✨
Paul Mescal is living proof that staying grounded while reaching for the stars isn`t just possible—it`s the secret sauce. Fresh off HAMNET and deep in rehearsals for Sam Mendes` Beatles biopics, this Irish charmer is redefining what it means to be a modern movie star.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🔥 When Margot Robbie had a "suspicion" her chemistry with Colin Farrell would work in A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY... she was absolutely right! ✨
These two icons dive into Kogonada`s A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY where strangers Sarah and David rent mysterious cars that transport them through doorways to their childhood memories. Talk about a wild ride! 🚗💫
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Paul Mescal and Josh O`Connor playing LIE vs LIE is the chaotic energy we didn`t know we needed 😂
These THE HISTORY OF SOUND co-stars swap outrageous stories, questionable audition tales, and awkward fan encounters—and honestly, we can`t tell what`s real anymore 🤷♀️
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix has assembled a powerhouse Irish cast for their upcoming adaptation of Marian Keyes` bestselling novel GROWN UPS.
Sarah Greene (BAD SISTERS) leads alongside Barry Ward, Aisling Bea (THIS WAY UP), Robert Sheehan (UMBRELLA ACADEMY), Adrian Dunbar (LINE OF DUTY) and more incredible talent ✨
This 8-part series follows the chaotic Casey family as they navigate grief, love, and the messy reality of being "grown up".
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Cillian Murphy`s Oscar win for OPPENHEIMER wasn`t just a personal triumph — it was the moment Hollywood finally recognized what the Irish have known all along.
Catch him next in STEVE—in theatres September 19th, streaming on Netflix October 3rd.
New COLBERT interview now at irishfilmtv.com.
🍪 Watch as Domhnall Gleeson spills the tea (literally) about his Penguin biscuit childhood trauma and prepping for his role as Ned Sampson in THE PAPER!
From biscuit confessions to character deep dives - this chat had us hanging on every word.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 Ireland`s finest is now diving into Shakespeare! ✨
At TIFF, Mescal revealed he personally convinced Chloé Zhao to adapt the film after falling in love with the novel. The story? Shakespeare`s grief over losing his son Hamnet becomes the inspiration for HAMLET 💔
More at irishfilmtv.com.
* NEW TRAILER ALERT *
🍺 From the creator of PEAKY BLINDERS comes Netflix`s most intoxicating drama yet!
HOUSE OF GUINNESS drops September 25th, serving up the dark secrets behind Ireland`s most famous brewing dynasty.
🎵 INTO THE SILENCE by @michaelk_films is making waves on the festival circuit!
This powerful11-minute journey through Ireland`s `90s acid house scene is finding its rhythm with audiences everywhere.
Full details and trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
