The Queen of Ireland

She is more influential than Donald Trump, at least according to a Time's poll. Her talk show enchanted viewers from Sydney to Sarajevo. We are talking about Panti Bliss, a charismatic and witty drag queen from Ireland, who became well-known all over the world during last year's referendum about marriage equality. Her speech about what it's like to be gay became a viral hit shared by millions of people, including Madonna, and the Pet Shop Boys composed the musical score for the video. The speech is popular because Panti Bliss has a lot to say about homophobia, life with HIV, femininity, sex, and the right to marry whomever you love – and does so with disarming power and impact. Yet Queen of Ireland not only follows o a country boy on his journey to become a national artist, but also tracks the journey of Irish society towards modernity. The transformation of a country ruled by the Church for many long decades sometimes reminds us of the situation in Czechoslovakia.

Conor Horgan

Conor Horgan is an Irish photographer and director who made his name through work in advertising. His first film, The Last Time (2002), won numerous awards, including the award for Best Irish Short Film at Cork Film Festival. His feature debut came in 2010 with One Hundred Mornings, and the New York Times called it one of the best Irish films of the decade. The Queen of Ireland was locally an unprecedented box office hit among Irish documentaries.