Celtic Utopia

After 100 years of independence, a bold new wave of Irish musicians is reclaiming and reinventing the nation’s folk traditions. Celtic Utopia journeys across the island — from living-room sessions to late-night pubs and windswept coasts — to capture a movement that turns heritage into protest, memory into melody. Rooted in the sounds of fiddle and bodhrán yet alive with new voices, these artists wrestle with history while reshaping what Irish music can mean today. Through intimate encounters and evocative archival images, the film reveals a country still reckoning with its colonial past — and a culture finding new ways to sing itself free. A vibrant portrait of Ireland in transformation, Celtic Utopia celebrates the power of folk to connect generations and to keep imagination, language, and rebellion alive. A deserving winner of Locarno’s Critics’ Week Grand Prix (2025)

Co-presented with Irish Film Festival Australia