A film that’s already made history as the highest-grossing Irish-language film of all time, The Quiet Girl feels like an instant classic. Child actor Catherine Clinch delivers an astounding debut performance as Cáit, a nine-year-old girl from an overcrowded, dysfunctional and impoverished family. Struggling at school and at home, she has learnt to hide in plain sight from those around her. As summer arrives and her pregnant mother’s due date approaches, Cáit is sent to live with distant relatives, the Kinsellas. In the warmth and love of their care, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of living. But in this house where affection grows and there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth.

About the Curator: For Kylie Kwong cooking is a call to act. The constant question that drives her practice as a cook, as a collaborator and creative is how her practice can drive positive social change.  This energy is driven by a philosophy that the best way to care of self is to be connected to community. Through her multiple connections and collaborations, she creates space, time and experiences that allow us to imagine that there is a better, more sustainable more interconnected way.

This deceptively delicate film unfurls with a gently certainty, gradually teasing out deep emotional truths and the private pain of grief. Catherine Clinch delivers an extraordinary performance that almost wordlessly conveys not just the fears and anxieties of childhood, but also the boundless hope. Winner of multiple awards and recipient of a standing ovation at the Sydney Film Festival, The Quiet Girl is a rare gem worth treasuring. Lovingly and gracefully composed, it brims with the shimmering, heightened feeling of a childhood memory, and stays with you long after the credits roll.