Queer Portrayal In Contemporary Irish Cinema

Welcome

This website is my combined project for George Mason University's ENGH 470, Irish and Australian Film, and ENGH 375, Web Authoring and Design. This site is dedicated to analyzing queer portrayal in Irish film, with the hope of expanding as more work is pursued. I want to thank Professor Jessica Scarlata and Professor Doug Eyman for letting combine their assignments into what you see now.

This project originally intended to analyze homosexual portrayals in Irish film, considering the strict private space homosexuals are afforded in Ireland. As I pursued further research, I discovered that most Irish films portraying homosexuality also included a bevy of other identities, while characters freely navigated these sexual borders. Homosexuality became queer, a catch all that I believe captures the fluid identities presented in these films. The project went from analyzing strict homosexual identities to how queer characters navigate space and sexuality.

With the introductions out of the way, lets get down to business. With this website, I will explore the following questions in the Irish films presented above: How are queer characters are portrayed, how are these characters are used in the plot and in greater Irish politics, and how do these characters navigate space , especially considering their queer status? This website might explore other films and elaborate further on other ideas, as not everything could be covered within a single semester's time, but will remain to be seen. The site is laid out so that you can navigate at your discretion, but I would suggest at least starting with the introduction.