BRITFILMS #10 – Accompanying material for media education
SING STREET
Ireland/Great Britain/USA 2016, 106 min
FSK rating: 6 / age recommendation: 13+
Language: English/English with subtitles in German
Director: John Carney
Script: John Carney
Cinematography: Yaron Orbach
Editing: Andrew Marcus, Julian Ulrichs
Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy and
others
About SING STREET
15-year-old Conor is drawn to the mysterious Raphina and asks her if she would like to star in his band’s music video.
To his surprise, she says yes – and now Conor has a problem. He doesn’t have a band. Now he needs to get one and
soon. Together with friends from his strict Catholic school, Conor sets off on an adventure. He learns everything he
needs to know about rock ‘n’ roll from his older brother Brendan, who is perceived as the family loser, and how,
thanks to New Wave, to still be happy while in turmoil. While his parents are announcing their plan to divorce, it
looks like Raphina is falling for Conor. But she knows that she won’t stay in Dublin; she dreams of a career as a model
in London.
John Carney’s coming-of-age period piece is set against the social and pop-culture background of the 1980s and
combines musical romance with teenage upheaval and a hint of social realism. In a charming manner, Carney skilfully
shows the influence of a variety of artists and musical genres on his protagonist and how through music and fashion
experimentation he gains self-confidence and finds his place in life.