Brendan Canty’s debut feature Christy begins with the title character being kicked out of his latest foster home. At 17 years old it’s unlikely that another family will take Christy (Danny Power) in, but his half-brother Shane (Diarmuid Noyes) is determined that he doesn’t end up in supported accommodation. Until a new foster placement is found, Christy goes to stay with Shane, Shane’s partner Stacey, and their infant daughter in Knocknaheeny, a housing estate in the north of Cork.
A 3:2 aspect ratio heightens our sense of the pressure Christy is under, particularly within the poky confines of Shane’s house. Stacey appreciates how good Christy is with his niece and likes having him around, but Shane is more conflicted. Although he’s been in Christy’s place and knows he needs some stability, there’s an underlying fear that Christy’s reappearance in his life will upset his own hard-won peace and quiet. Run-ins with Christy’s cousins Troy and Jammy suggest that Shane’s fear is not without cause.
Canty developed Christy from his 2019 short of the same name, with Power, Noyes, and some of the supporting cast reprising their roles (including Jamie Forde as the hilarious Robot). Both were shot in Knocknaheeny by the cinematographer Colm Hogan, but the feature-length provides enough breathing room to give us a true flavour of life on the estate. Hogan relies on natural light to shoot Knocknaheeny’s bonfires, colourful terraced houses, and the imposing concrete water tower which looms in the background. Christy cultivates such a vivid sense of place that the film wilts somewhat when the story moves elsewhere – an unnecessary digression to Cork city centre sees Christy befriending homeless drug user Chloe (Saltburn’s Alison Oliver).
Christy’s Knocknaheeny belongs in conversation with other recent depictions of the working-class enclaves of Irish cities. Its Irish hip-hop soundtrack will bring the Gaeltacht Quarter of Kneecap’s Belfast to mind: members of local community project The Kabin Studio (who you may recall from last year’s viral hit ‘The Spark’) make up some of Christy’s supporting cast, culminating in a joyful post-credits showcase for some of the area’s young MCs. But Christy’s tone and visual language more keenly recall the portrayal of Dublin’s Sheriff Street in the music video for Gemma Dunleavy’s ‘Up De Flats’. In all three works there’s proud and piercing specificity and a refusal to sugarcoat the problems that threaten to usurp people’s lives in these communities, be it addiction or violence. This refusal to dilute also applies to the Cork slang that adds such character to Christy’s dialogue.
Christy the character doesn’t experience your typical coming-of-age arc. The death of his mum and his life in the care system have already forced him to grow up too fast, so the adversity he has to overcome isn’t about clearing a path to adulthood. If the film crests towards anything it’s towards Christy being able to enjoy what’s left of his adolescence – sitting round a fire with his pals, getting to know a girl on the estate, a job in a family friend’s salon – instead of following in his cousins’ footsteps. His salon job leads to one of the film’s most emotionally resonant scenes, when Shane comes in for a trim and gets to be taken care of by Christy for a change.
Christy is packed with heart and humour. Its performances and sense of place bring a local charm that elevates it to something special. If that’s how they do it in Cork, we’re excited about the future for this talented cast and crew.
Christy had its UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival and is in cinemas from 5th September
