Film
Check our list of foreign language DVDs by Director list of foreign language films on DVD 2008 (PDF, 488 KB) or by Title list of foreign films on DVD (Oct 2008) (PDF, 492 KB). A Complete list of DVD titles as at July 2010 (PDF, 88KB) is also available.
For generations Cork City Libraries have offered the people of Cork the greatest stories ever told - books of all kinds for children and adults; not just novels, but biographies and history as well.Now, along with books, Cork City Libraries offer a range of the classics of the cinema from all over the world. The films include the greats produced by the Hollywood studios in the 1940s, 1950s and later - films by John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock and the other legendary directors of that era. But Hollywood, though it is the biggest grossing film industry, has no monopoly on quality. The Libraries' collection includes films from Europe and the world, right up to the present day. Ireland has a small but significant role in the heritage of world cinema; films made in Ireland with Irish stories - The Quiet Man, Ryan's Daughter - and films by Irish directors - In the name of the father, The Crying game.
Cultures of the world
All of the world's culture, as seen through the eyes of its greatest film-makers, is yours through the DVD collection in the library. Europe has given us Italian neorealism, The French nouvelle vague, and films by Germany's 60s generation - Fassbinder, Wenders et al - and the current flowering of Spanish cinema led by Almodovar. More recently, directors, actors and other film-makers have emerged to make unforgettable films in countries as diverse as China (not forgetting Honk Kong and Taiwan), Mexico and Iran, while the Bollywood phenomenon - the indigenous Indian film industry based in Mumbai (Bombay) and other centres - continues to thrive.
Movies for all
Every adult member of the Library may borrow up to 6 items, which may be 6 DVDs if you wish. Because of the Irish certification rules, some films (a small minority) are restricted to borrowers over 18.
A City of Films
In 2006, the Cork Film Festival celebrated its 51st birthday. Many of the stories about the goings on of the stars and starlets in the early years of the Festival have entered the folklore, but the Festival's pre-eminence nowadays is down to the quality of the film programme it offers each year - features, shorts, documentaries from around the world. The Festival's status is reflected in the fact that its Director, Mick Hannigan, has been elected a member of the prestigious European Film Academy. Going to the pictures is still a huge part of the social and indeed cultural life of Corkonians, although the venues have changed considerably from such spots as the Savoy and the Pav to the spanking new cineplexes and the art-house mecca The Kino.
Check our list of foreign language DVDs by Director list of foreign language films on DVD 2008 (PDF, 488 KB) or by Title list of foreign films on DVD (Oct 2008) (PDF, 492 KB).