Rebellious Hope – Film Review
by Frank L.

Rebellious Hope – Directed by Philip Connaughton and Luca Truffarelli was screened at the Project Arts Centre on May 3rd. Find out more about Philip Connaughton here.

Rebellious Hope is a new dance film that explores ageing, care, masculinity, and vulnerability – in collaboration with filmmaker Luca Trufarelli and composer Mel Mercier, as part of Bealtaine Festival 2025

Philip Connaughton is the driving force behind this film, which celebrates dancers aged from 46 to 85. Each one of them still has the need to express themselves artistically through the medium of dance.

Connaughton and Truffarelli have unearthed a series of locations in and around Dublin and Paris where each sequence takes place. The dancers who participate include Joanna Banks, Fergus O’Chonchuir, Magali Caillet Gajan, Jonathan Mitchell, Amy Swanson Salmon, Ashley Chen and John  Scott. It is a celebration of their artistry, which discounts the increasing years as their individual need to express their artistry remains dominant.

Their passion for dance is augmented by a specially commissioned score by Mel Mercier, and the cinematography of Truffarelli reveals the passion of each dancer as each continues to dance. It is a beautifully crafted 40-minute film sequence. It generates a feeling of optimism.