Filmmaker Tom Ryan tells the story behind his award-winning new independent Irish feature film Twice Shy, screening this weekend at the Cannes Film Festival.
Cinema has always been a wonderful medium in which to tell stories that are difficult to talk about. As a nation, the Irish love storytelling, but stories like Twice Shy can be obscured by polemical debate in today’s society and media. Following my debut feature film Trampoline I wanted to write and direct a movie that would have an impact with a wider audience and start up a conversation.
Twice Shy is an independent Irish feature film that follows a young couple who embark on a journey from Ireland to the UK as a result of an unplanned pregnancy. The film primarily deals with Andy and Maggie’s romance and when faced with a number of difficult decisions their relationship is put to the test.
The film stars Shane Murray-Corcoran and Iseult Casey in the lead roles of Andy and Maggie, with stellar support from Ardal O’Hanlon and Pat Shortt who give the film the weight it deserves and help set the grounded, heartfelt tone.
As a filmmaker, I’m attracted to character dramas, and I thought that a young romance put to the test by an unplanned pregnancy would be an engaging story with a lot of room for character development. My producer Fionn Greger and I worked very hard in bringing this story to the screen and we were thrilled to get the opportunity to work with a cast that elevated the material to a higher level. My leads Shane and Iseult had an instant on-screen magic together which really carries the movie, while securing Ardal and Pat Shortt was a massive boost to the production. The blend of experience and fresh talent in the cast made directing this project an unforgettable experience.
Ardal O' Hanlon at the launch of the Irish Film Festival London.
We shot the film over three weeks in the summer of 2015 in my hometown of Nenagh, Dublin and London. Twice Shy premiered at last year’s Galway Film Fleadh to a sold-out audience and we were absolutely thrilled with the response that it received from audiences and critics alike. We had subsequent screenings in LA (where both Iseult and I won Rising Star Awards) and at the the London Irish Film Festival - now it's going to the Cannes Film Festival. It is very exciting to be taking such an important film around the world on the festival circuit before bringing it back to Ireland next year.
Given the current climate in Ireland, this story relates to a highly topical issue and has resonated with a wide audience. It was never our intention to make a film that was an obvious commentary on abortion, but I hope that Twice Shy encourages people to start a more balanced conversation about the subject.
Twice Shy screens at the Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival this Thursday and Saturday, and will be released in Ireland on Friday 23rd June.
