THE curated film series at the Phoenix Cinema in Finchley, London closes with Tom Collins' deeply moving bilingual drama Kings, starring Colm Meaney and Brendan Conroy.
Based on Jimmy Murphy's acclaimed play Kings of the Kilburn High Road, the film follows a group of Irish labourers who left the west of Ireland for London in the 1970s, dreaming of prosperity and opportunity.
Thirty years later, they reunite following the death of their youngest friend, Jackie, confronting lives marked by hardship, isolation and unfulfilled dreams. 
Beautifully photographed and emotionally resonant, Kings is a powerful meditation on migration, friendship, identity and belonging.
Filmed in Irish and English (with subtitles), it offers an authentic portrait of the Irish diaspora and the generation of migrant workers whose labour helped shape modern Britain, while paying a moving tribute to the personal sacrifices behind that story.
The screening will be followed by a special Q&A with Alex McDonnell, Director of The Aisling Project. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, The Aisling Project provided vital support to many Irish migrant labourers working on Britain's roads, railways, tunnels and construction sites.
While some found opportunity and success, many others experienced loneliness, alcoholism and homelessness. McDonnell's insights will provide valuable context to one of the film's most poignant themes.
As A Journey Through Irish Cinema reaches its conclusion, these final screenings offer audiences not only the chance to experience two outstanding films on the big screen, but also to engage with the history, politics and human stories that continue to shape Ireland and its global diaspora.
Through powerful cinema and illuminating discussion, the season ends as it began — celebrating the richness, resilience and enduring influence of Irish filmmaking.
The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley, north London, is one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the UK. Originally built in 1910 and opened in 1912 as the East Finchley Picture-drome, it has survived two world wars, escaped conversion into a bingo hall, and remains an independent cultural hub.
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