Running in the family: Longford sisters film gets festival screening

A short film exploring a sibling bond augmented by dance and music was included in the artistic programme of Ireland's foremost celebration of dance.

Orla and Aisling McCarthy's ‘that’s my sister' was screened as part of the Wicklow ScreenDance Laboratory. The event creates opportunities for artists and audiences to gather and celebrate the body in motion with visual and kinaesthetic experiences: on stage and on screen.

Screen Dance is a vibrant, hybrid medium, bringing together Choreography/Dance and short film making.

Orla McCarthy began her dance training there in the Shawbrook School of Dance at an early age.
She pursued a BA in contemporary dance in Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. In 2015, Orla began working as a freelance dance artist based between Germany and the Netherlands.
Aisling McCarthy has long established herself as an accomplished musician and singer, touring across her homeland, the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the company of various artists and assorted outfits.

Performing under the moniker SISTIR Aisling creates heavenly soundscapes with eerie 80s synth and haunting harmony. Aisling took to social media to express her delight at being included in the yearly event that celebrates the art of dance in all its forms: “Our dance film ‘that’s my sister' has been selected to be screened as part of Wicklow Screendance Laboratory.”

The singer continued: “Orla and I created ‘that’s my sister’ last September, as she moved home and just before I moved away. It's a celebration of sisterhood and was a very personal and special process for us both.

“For the making of the film, Orla and I came together for a creative exchange of our crafts. It was a unique opportunity to dive into new territory and learn from one another. It is both a personal portrait of our relationship and a poetic reflection of the support, trust and vulnerability that we all know and need.”

Aisling spoke of the joyous connection the siblings enjoy and how it has a universal appeal: “The film reveals the inner dynamics and peculiarities of our unique bond while emphasising the unconditional love surrounding us all. ‘that’s my sister' is an illustration of the deeply personal and equally universal.”