Irish American Heritage Museum
21 Quackenbush Square
The Irish American Heritage Museum hosts The Brendan Fahy Bequette Film Series: The 8th on Saturday, April 22 at 3:00 PM.
The 8th traces Ireland’s campaign to remove the 8th Amendment – a constitutional ban on abortion. It shows a country’s transformation from a conservative state in thrall to the Catholic church to a more liberal secular society.
The 8th includes voices from both sides of the debate, but its primary focus is on the dynamic female leaders of the pro-choice campaign. The film follows the veteran campaigner Ailbhe Smyth and self-described glitter-activist Andrea Horan as they chart a bold strategy of grassroots activism and engineer the impossible. This dramatic story is underscored by a vivid exploration of the wrenching failures that led to this defining moment in Irish history.
An urgent narrative, a cautionary tale and a roadmap for progressive reforms in a modern era where authoritarianism is on the rise, The 8th shows a country forging a new progressive path when reproductive rights are threatened all over the world.
Director and Producer, Aideen Kane, will join us for an interview following the film.
This is the sixth film in The Brendan Fahy Bequette Filmmakers Series, whose family are endowing this series to help showcase young or emerging artists, as was Brendan before COVID and then cancer ended his career. Brendan graduated from Ithaca College in 2018, where he majored in Cinema and Photography, so we will be showcasing work that he would have loved and been inspired by.
The film will be screened in our Michael Flanagan Irish Music Heritage Theater. Admission is $10 for museum members and $15 for nonmembers.
