Heresy Films and Hill of Miracles Limited, has announced the Irish premiere of director Eric Fraad’s “The Island of Saints,” a feature-length music film. The film be screened Feb. 12, 2022, at Wexford Arts Centre (Wexford); and on Feb. 23 at Project Arts Centre (Dublin).

Inspired by Anakronos’ acclaimed mind bending, jazz/medieval album, “The Red Book of Ossory,” Fraad’s film presents three types of scenes; those of Anakronos performing music from the album, scenes portraying the first witchcraft trial in Europe (1324) involving Dame Alice Kyteler and the burning of her servant Petronilla de Meath, and hallucinatory music videos diving into the philosophy of “The Red Book of Ossory.”

The book is a 14th-century manuscript by Bishop Richard de Ledrede, a moralizer who proclaimed Kilkenny a bastion of devil worshippers led by Kyteler. De Ledrede’s manuscript contains 60 verses in Latin to be sung “on the important holidays and at celebrations in order that their throats and mouths, consecrated to God, may not be polluted by songs which are lewd, secular, and associated with revelry…” wrote the Bishop, according to the press release.

The film’s creative team includes Eric Fraad (Writer, Producer, and Director), Caitríona O’Leary (Music Director), Karina Lundström (Producer), Paula Heil Fisher (Executive Producer), Martin Mai (Director of Photography and Editor), Monica Ennis (Costume Designer), David McDermott (Art Direction), Tee Elliot (Hair and Makeup Design). The Film was recorded by Alex Borwick.

Anakronos consists of Caitríona O’Leary (Voice), Nick Roth (Soprano Saxophone, Recorders, Percussion), Deirdre O’Leary (Clarinets, Percussion) Greg Felton (Nord Synthesizer, Percussion), Mel Mercier (Percussion).

Appearing in the film are Raymond Keane as Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory; Megan O’Malley as Petronilla de Meath/The Virgin Mary; Caitríona O’Leary as Dame Alice Kyteler; Ethan Dillon as William Outlaw; Vitor Bassi as Artisson; Michael Cooney as Dominican Friar, Assistant to Artisson; and Gavan O’Connor Duffy as Dominican Friar, Assistant to Artisson.