With her debut novel, The Country Girls, Edna O’Brien emerged as one of Ireland’s most brilliant and controversial writers. Director Sinéad O’Shea’s sweeping documentary examines the writer and the woman, featuring take-no-prisoners interviews with O’Brien herself, whose diamond-clear intelligence and cutting wit make her one of the most fascinating people you will ever meet.

Published when she was 30, The Country Girls met with intense critical backlash and was banned in Ireland for exposing the country’s sexual taboos. But it was an international hit, and she was quickly a part of Ireland’s literary firmament. Blue Road, featuring interviews with O’Brien and her sons, among others, paints a cinematic portrait of one of the greatest artists–novelist, diarist, screenwriter and bon vivant–of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Divorced in a country where this was frowned upon, O’Brien was a provocative person, who entertained celebrities, had numerous affairs, and faced life on her terms, and her terms only. Even if you’ve never read an O’Brien novel, time with her is time well spent.

Tickets for screenings at Pop's Art Theater in Rochester can be reserved here. Passes, 6 Packs, and discounts cannot be used for Rochester screenings.