Forty Shades of Grey.

Chernobyl, Bosnia, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Moyross / Southill, Limerick. These are "places where aesthetic value is not deemed important or even considered; derelict spaces, abandoned buildings, wrecks, conflict zones, aftermaths. . ." 

These are places that have drawn Irish artist, videographer and documentarist Nicky Larkin. His most ambitious project took him to Israel and Palestine last year. The result is an experimental, non-narrative first feature film, Forty Shades of Grey.

"But only one side was wanted back in Dublin. My peers expected me to come back with an attack on Israel. No grey areas were acceptable. An Irish artist is supposed to sign boycotts, wear a PLO scarf, and remonstrate loudly about The Occupation. But it's not just artists who are supposed to hate Israel. Being anti-Israel is supposed to be part of our Irish identity, the same way we are supposed to resent the English. But hating Israel is not part of my personal national identity. . ."

Nicky will be in Ottawa on June 18 to show his film at 7 p.m. at the Library & Archives of Canada, courtesy of the Free Thinking Film Society. Admission: $15.