Cal 
Pat O’Connor’s legendary 1984 film Cal, based on the novel by Bernard MacLaverty, kept the doors open at QFT when times were hard.
This Troubles-set love story between a Catholic widow of a Protestant policeman and a young man on the fringes of the IRA was a hit. Helen Mirren and John Lynch give fantastic performances in the lead roles, with Mirren winning Best Actress at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. Without the success of Cal it is possible that QFT wouldn’t be here today to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
This film, despite its significance in Northern Irish film history, has been neglected for some time. The 35mm print we are able to screen is far from pristine but is in fact the best possible version available. Well overdue a restoration, the preservation of Cal for future generations is vital and we hope that with renewed focus on the film in QFT50, reaching new audiences alongside those who are familiar with the film, we can shine a light on what is arguably the most important Northern Irish film of the last 50 years.
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