Culture
28 Oct 25

IFI to screen David Keenan's Irish-language documentary Focla ar Chanbhás (Words on Canvas)

IFI to screen David Keenan's Irish-language documentary <i>Focla ar Chanbhás</i> <i>(Words on Canvas)</i>

You can watch the trailer for Focla ar Chanbhás (Words on Canvas) below...

A special event screening of the award-winning Irish-language feature documentary Focla ar Chanbhás (Words on Canvas) will be held at the Irish Film Institute on Thursday, 6 November 2025, at 6.30pm.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director of the film Paddy Hayes and musician David Keenan.

The event comes just ahead of the release of David Keenan’s new album, Modern Mythologies, out 21 November.

According to the film's description, Focla ar Chanbhás follows David Keenan through a deeply personal creative period as he writes and records Modern Mythologies. Shot over 500 days, the documentary offers a look into his creative process and reflects on the challenges of artistic authenticity in a world dominated by social media and algorithms.

Winner of the Best Cinematography Award at Docs Ireland, Focla ar Chanbhás has been noted for its lyrical, intimate portrayal of Keenan.

“Anger is easy to portray," Keenan reflects in the film. “It's the hurt that's hard.”