ART FILM 

Screenings In Leeds

Cultural Cinema at Northlight

Northlight Arts Centre bring you culturally significant films from across the globe. Based in Chapeltown (LS7) Leeds, we screen independent artist documentaries, historic art cinema and films that explore creativity, culture and ideas.

Unlike commercial cinemas, our screenings are intimate, discussion led and rooted in the visual arts. We host a small number of selected screenings each year.

FAQ’s

  • No. Our screenings are open to anyone interested in art and culture

  • We curate approximately four culturally significant screenings each year

  • Yes. We serve coffee and refreshments and also have a licensed bar.

  • Yes. Visit our online box office or buy direct from this page below. Booking is essential so we can keep a track on numbers attending.

  • We have:

    • Free visitors car park

    • Street level entrance

    • Well serviced bus routes to and from Leeds city centre and Harrogate

    • Accessible toilets

MAR 7TH 

BLUE ROAD

THE EDNA O’BRIEN STORY

A film celebrating International Women’s Day and Irish History Month - In collaboration with Irish Arts Foundation
Doors: 1.30pm | Screening Starts: 2pm
Tickets: Pay As You Feel - Donations Welcome - Booking Essential

Join us at Northlight Arts Centre for a special afternoon of film, reflection, and conversation as we screen Blue Road - The Edna O’Brien Story (2024), presented as part of Irish History Month and in celebration of International Women’s Day.

This event is delivered in collaboration with the Irish Arts Foundation, whose work highlights the rich cultural contributions of Irish communities locally and beyond - aligning with our commitment to accessible cultural programming that brings people together through shared stories.

Film details

  • Title: Blue Road — The Edna O’Brien Story

  • Director: Sinéad O’Shea

  • Narrator: Jessie Buckley

  • Producers: Claire McCabe, Sinéad O’Shea

  • Executive Producers: Barbara Broccoli, Katie Holly

  • Countries of production: Ireland, UK

DOCUMENTARY  |  ENGLISH |  98 MINS

About the film

In 1960, a young Irish writer named Edna O’Brien published her debut novel The Country Girls. It is a bold, sexually frank work that made her an overnight literary sensation. Her success brought acclaim but also controversy, enraging her husband and leading to her books being banned and burned in Ireland.

O’Brien went on to build an extraordinary life in London. She wrote for The New Yorker, hosted legendary gatherings, and becoming one of the most distinctive literary voices of her generation.

Filmed shortly before her passing in 2024, Blue Road offers a final, intimate testimony from O’Brien at the age of 93. Director Sinéad O’Shea was granted access to O’Brien’s personal journals, read in the film by Oscar-nominated Irish actress Jessie Buckley, alongside reflections from Gabriel Byrne, Walter Mosley, and fellow writers.

Candid, thoughtful, and quietly powerful, the film reflects the courage, complexity, and creative force of a writer who challenged expectations and expanded what women could say and be.

Why this event matters

We believe cultural events like this create space for learning, dialogue, and connection. By hosting screenings that explore women’s voices, literary history, and lived experience, we continue our mission that high-quality cultural experiences remain accessible within our community.

Your attendance helps support our wider programme of creative workshops, exhibitions, and Pay-As-You-Feel community sessions.

What to expect on the day

  • Warm welcome in our gallery space

  • Film screening

  • Opportunity to stay afterwards for informal conversation

  • Café and bar open

Everyone is welcome: whether you come for the film, the story, or simply want to spend time in a throughtful welcoming space with others.