Mexican award for Traveller movie

A DOCUMENTARY short made by nine young Traveller women in West Cork has won the Best Short Film Europe 2022 at the Quetzalcoatl Indigenous International Film Festival in Mexico.

‘It’s remarkable,’ said Toma McCullim, the Wheel of Dreams director, ‘that a group of indigenous people in Mexico can relate to a film about traveller girls in Ireland.

‘It’s a huge honour,’ she added, ‘to have been selected for the festival, and to have our film shown, and then to have ultimately won the top European award.’

Wheel of Dreams received its official launch at the Misleór Nomadic Film Festival in Galway, and it was there that organisers of the 7th International Festival of Romany Film suggested it be included in their programme in Berlin later this year.

At the film’s West Cork premiere in Clonakilty, which was attended by over 200 people, the women were surprised and delighted to be presented with National Garda Community Award.

A third award – the Cork Volunteer Group Award – was also presented on the night.

With lots of creative and technical support, Lavie Olupona, Karima Amhadi, Alicia Williamson, Britney Mongans, Elizabeth Burke, Rosie McCarthy Adair, Jessie McCarthy Adair, Helena McCarthy and Theresa McCarthy created a film in which they are the actors, scriptwriters, directors, producers, camera operators and also the film editors.

‘Wheel of Dreams is,’ according to chief executive of the West Cork Travelling Centre Toddy Hogan, ‘a radiant and empowering film that shows us that Traveller girls can make a difference. It shows that if you can see it, you can be it.’