Ciarán O'Connor Interview

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O'Connor - "The story is an unconventional love story, a relationship that exists on mere survival and need"

After 15 years as a camerman and documentary maker, Ciarán O'Connor makes his feature directing debut with 'Trafficked', a gritty mix of romance and thriller set in the Dublin underworld. He tells Harry Guerin about trying to make €10,000 go a long way.

Harry Guerin: Watching 'Trafficked' will have members of the audience yearning for more low-budget, gritty crime thrillers. Why do you think there have been so few of them made in Ireland? Do you think there has been a reluctance to make them?
Ciarán O'Connor: I think there have been low budget thrillers shot but a lot of Irish films don't make it to a nationwide cinema distribution. Getting Irish films to cinema audiences isn't easy; it takes money and people investing time and effort in the hope of making their money back. It is the most crucial part of the process: the shooting, editing etc is one thing, getting it out there is an other matter...

HG: The film marks your debut as a feature director. How arduous a process was it from writing the script to shouting "action" on the first day? Was it always going to be a film or were you thinking of a one-off TV drama at any stage?
CO'C: Being from a documentary and TV background I wanted to create a piece of fiction that broke through, that got attention, something to show people that a story can be told simply. It was a real adventure alright, but myself and my producers Nuala Cunningham and Linda Cardiff were really determined to just get it done. I financed the shoot. I had 10 grand maximum. I then hoped that the Irish Film Board would support us and thankfully they did. If they didn't, this film wouldn't have made it to the screens.

HG: How did your stars Karl Shiels and Ruth Negga get involved?
CO'C: I met Karl and pitched him the concept. He said: 'Yeah, I'm in.' Then I wrote the script and then the casting began. Taiwo [Ruth Negga's character] was a very particular part to cast. Ruth was becoming a name in theatre. She had the perfect look. I knew she could act. I trusted her, and it was as simple as that.

HG: The film tells the story of petty criminal Keely and illegal immigrant Taiwo, two survivors who come to depend on each other. When you began writing the script were you planning to focus on one or other character or did you always have both in mind?
CO'C: The story is an unconventional love story, a relationship that exists on mere survival and need. From there, I brought in the story and impact of human trafficking because it gives us a great insight into the suffering and the hardship that Taiwo must have had to endure before we meet her. But the relationship forms the spine of the story. I knew if I got the central love story correct then we could develop the action around the rest of the film.

HG: What's very interesting is how their relationship shifts from parent-child to siblings to lovers to manipulators, although not necessarily in that order.
CO'C: Yes, it's complex and it's shifting rapidly. To me, that's interesting. As Taiwo's and Keely's worlds change around them so does their relationship. Their worlds are really chaotic and their relationship couldn't be anything else.

HG: For me, it felt like the most important thing for each of them, ultimately, was for someone to recognise their qualities - and listen.
CO'C: Taiwo's struggle is to have a voice. Without it she will never survive. She hardly speaks in the film, which is how the characters around her perceive her. I gave her a voice in the letters that she writes to her sister. This humanises her, as the characters in the film are treating Taiwo as a second-class citizen.

HG: Karl Shiels and Ruth Negga are both very strong in their roles and watching the film I felt that if there was more money you could've developed their characters and the supporting roles further - that there was a bigger film there than the one you had the budget to make.
CO'C: I don't know if that's a criticism or a compliment [the latter]. We had absolutely no budget. I have made short films with more money. I did want to draw a world that was complex, and yes, you're right, it could have been a different film if there was money but I knew that people would be looking for more from performances from the likes of Jasmine [Russell], Martin [Dunne], Niall [O'Brien] and Nellie [Conroy], and really that's a good thing.

HG: Your Director of Photography Ruairí O'Brien does an excellent job of capturing Dublin and the city becomes a character in the film - sometimes there's hope around one corner, sometimes more trouble.
CO'C: Every city has that edge to it, turn the corner and you never know what's waiting for you. Yes, as a thriller, it gave us a great dynamic. Who is waiting in the shadows? Who is she going to bump into? So the city is throwing things at us, old Anna Livia should have got a credit really.

HG: You resist the urge for a happy ending. Was that something you agonised over or did you think it was a cop-out for the characters?
CO'C: For me, there was no way the film could have any other ending, and having no money or financiers calling the shots, I was free to choose what that ending would be. I felt if I was being fair to the characters the ending would have to reflect the truth of Taiwo's journey.

HG: I noticed during the end credits that the copyright was 2008. Why did it take so long to get the film to cinemas?
CO'C: No budget films are lucky to make it this far and sometimes it takes an age to get there. The film doesn't really age and with a theme that is as pertinent now as any other time, I think it's ready now for a cinema audience to make up their own minds.

HG: What were the big films/directors for you growing up and what are your own favourite thriller/crime movies?
CO'C: I have always moved towards the filmmakers who tell the story head on, and the more controversial the story the better they seem to be. Ken Loach and Mike Leigh are special because they tell stories simply and they get to the heart of the characters and you really feel for them. I love Paul Greengrass ('Bloody Sunday', 'The Bourne Ultimatum') who has a documentary approach to what he does which takes the viewer right in to the action, into the centre of the story.

HG: Are you planning another film and if so, what's it about?
CO'C: It's a lot lighter. Next one up hopefully is a comedy drama called 'Highway to Nowhere', written by Michael McCudden. It has a bagful of laughs with a great country music soundtrack and some engaging characters.

'Trafficked' is in cinemas now. Read the review.