Irish drag artist Anziety, also known off stage as Ian Farrell, is the titular character of a new short documentary. From director Dave O’Carroll, the film champions queer resilience, loss and self-expression.
Anziety moves through Ian’s challenging past and vibrant present to chart his journey to becoming a drag performer while also exploring his experiences of death, loss and foster care. The deeply personal film is a showcase of the transformative power of art, while also celebrating love, community, family and friendship.
“At the start we wanted to make a film about Anziety because she’s this perfect mix of high energy and artistic expression. We wanted to make something really fun,” O’Carroll shared.
“When we started to go deeper, Ian kind of just went for it and opened up – giving us this really honest and delicate look into his life. It was such a privilege to try and capture the honesty and beauty shared by Ian and his community.”
From a visual point of view, O’Carroll noted that “Anziety’s look is so artistic that we needed to push ourselves to try and match that standard – so it was a huge relief when we screened the film for Ian and he loved it.”
Anziety has already featured at Galway Film Fleadh and Docs Ireland, and is now preparing for its Dublin premiere at GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival. It will have its homecoming screening as part of the New Irish Shorts programme on Friday, August 1, and Sunday, August 3. While the first date is already sold out, the second has limited tickets still available here.
In anticipation of the Anziety screenings, O’Carroll released a trailer for the short documentary, which can be viewed below.
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Dave O’Carroll is an Irish filmmaker whose portfolio includes work on the short documentary series The People We Meet, and an hour-long music special for RTÉ about The Stunning. His recent collaborations with Blur, Ed Sheeran, the Abbey Theatre, and the Government of Ireland underscore his versatility and commitment to storytelling with dignity and care. To see more of his work, visit his website.
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