Irish Queer Cinema

In recent years queer identities have become increasingly visible in Irish cinema, a shift that can be linked to political, economic and social changes taking place both in Ireland and around the world, as well as to changes in national film policy to cater more to international audiences. Irish Queer Cinema explores the sexual politics and socio-economic conditions that have determined the shape and evolution of these representations whilst interrogating the relationship between on-screen visibility and progressive sexual politics. Drawing together 23 films as depictive of an Irish queer cinema, including Clash of the Ash, The Crying Game and Me First, the book investigates the different ways gender and sexuality intersect with nationhood and national forms of belonging, and explores the role of queerness within the constitution of an Irish national culture.

Allison Macleod is a researcher in Film Studies whose primary research interests include representations of space and movement in film, the role of the national in shaping cinemas, and queer theory. She has published on issues of sexuality and space in the context of film, with articles in The Canadian Journal of Film Studies, Screen Bodies and Cinephile and a book chapter in Masculinity and Irish Popular Culture: Tiger's Tales.