An Talamh Faoi Gheasa
— The Enchanted Land
Pradeep Mahadeshwar
Location:
Project Arts Centre, Dublin
Space:
Other
Form:
Screening and Talk
Duration:
80 mins
Date:
Saturday May 10th
Start time:
3pm
Ticket price:
Free
Age: 15+
Somewhere between history and mythology lies the story of King Sudyumna, whose fate takes an unexpected turn in a sacred grove where identity is not fixed, but fluid.
Transformed into a woman—renamed Ila—and bound to shift between genders with the waxing and waning of the moon, Sudyumna’s journey unfolds as an exploration of selfhood, destiny, and acceptance. When Ila meets Budha, the god of Mercury, love becomes an act of recognition—of seeing and being seen beyond the confines of binary existence.
Join us for a screening and a post-screening conversation to examine the myth’s lingering presence in our cultural psyche, its echoes in contemporary discourse, and the questions it raises about identity, transformation, and belonging.
About the Artist
Pradeep Mahadeshwar is a visual artist and LGBTQIA+ activist from India now based in Dublin. With a rich background in storytelling, writing, photography, illustrations, and filmmaking, Pradeep’s work delves deeply into the complexities of identity, migration, and the lived experiences of Queer People of Colour in Ireland and beyond.
As the founder of Queer Asian Pride Ireland and the Queer Spectrum Film Festival, Pradeep has created platforms that celebrate diversity while addressing the unique challenges faced by the immigrant LGBTQIA+ community in Ireland. Through their surreal and satirical films, Pradeep critiques sexual racism. He explores alternative emotional landscapes, offering profound insights into self-exploration, sexuality, and gender identity within new cultural contexts.
Pradeep’s artistic practice is rooted in a commitment to social justice, with a particular focus on the impact of migration, displacement, and racism on the mental and sexual health of Queer People of Colour. By weaving together stories, photography, illustrations, and moving images, Pradeep crafts narratives that challenge societal norms and invite audiences to reflect on the intersectionality of race, sexuality, and identity.
Credits
Performers Subhashini Goda and Pradeep Mahadeshwar
Writer, Director, and Executive Producer – Pradeep Mahadeshwar
Production Company – Cassette Vision
Producer – Adam Rael
Director of Photography – Daniel Bolaños Meade
Editor – Luke Faulkner
Irish Translator – Conall Ó Duibhir
Make-Up – Aisling Doyle
Original Music by Derek Byrne and Molly Donnery
1st AC – Jack Quinn
2nd ACs – Jarlath McKernan and Matthew de Barra
Associate Producer – Jack Quinn
Production Assistant – Tom Wallace
Special thanks to School of Philosophy and Economic Science,
Janice Hough, IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art / Áras Nua-Ealaíne na hÉireann), IMMA
Residency and Artist Programmes, Museum Of Everyone Siobhan Conroy
An Talamh Faoi Gheasa – The Enchanted Land was supported by the Arts Council of Ireland through the Visual Arts Agility Award (2023).