IRISH FILM GENRES PART 2: EMIGRATION

Topical theme these days with all of the overeducated Celtic Tiger morons crying and heading away to 'better' countries. Suppose these films could be divided into the lands they are set in. While there are lots of films about the Irish abroad these are different to the ones directly dealing with emigration. The ones on Britain (Kings, I could read the sky) deal with miserable old men looking back on their wasted years. The ones on America (Beyond the pale, In America, Gold in the streets) deal with younger and less angry people. The ones in Canada (Luck of Ginger Coffey) deal with the hardships that emigration can cause. The ones in Australia (Under Capricorn) deal with the acceptance of ambitious Irish trying to escape their past. Strange that there are no recent examples with the current recession but that's Irish cinema for you - out of touch as usual!