Directed by Lila Schmitz | Ireland 2022 | Cert: CLUB | 73 mins | Not Subtitled
The Job of Songs is an intimate film about the musicians of County Clare, Ireland. At the ends of the earth, teetering on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher and the first to break the stormy Atlantic winds, is the small village of Doolin. Travelers from all over the world gather in the local pubs, hoping to connect with their Irish heritage through traditional music. But things are changing: facing rapid modernization at the hands of tourism, confronting depression and mental health issues, and grappling with a history of colonization and oppression, the people of Doolin turn to music to find solace.
Music has the power to bring people together. In an age where everything is speeding up in life and everything is instant, we’re missing the person that walks right in front of us. We’re lonely and we don’t know why. We’re depressed and we don’t see a solution. In this community of musicians, the artists explore what it means to exist in the old music, the long-standing tradition, and find community through the strumming of a guitar, beating of a bodhran, or sharing of a song.
A beautiful, tender, intimate film full of joy, love and the sorrow brought about by loss, “The Job of Songs,” from director Lila Schmitz (her debut feature) is a treat for the ear, the eye and the soul…” Unpaid Film Critic
