The new documentary film Jackie & Coco follows the extraordinary journey of Irish mother Jackie Fox to find meaning following the tragic suicide of her beloved daughter, Nicole (Coco), due to online bullying.
'I feel privileged that she would trust me and allow me into her life to help her in any way...' Filmmaker Ger Walsh introduces Jackie & Coco, which premieres on RTÉ One on Monday, 22nd January - watch it now, via RTÉ Player.
The first time I became aware of Jackie Fox was in February 2018. Myself and my wife were traveling in the car to visit family, my 6-month-old little girl was in the back in her car seat.
As we drove we heard an interview on the radio, it was Jackie. She spoke about her daughter Nicole and the abuse she suffered, and it immediately had an effect on myself and my wife.
I decided to reach out to Jackie as she had mentioned that she wanted to raise awareness about Nicole's situation. She agreed to meet with me.
We arranged to meet and film an interview, with the aim to spread a Nicole’s story and help Jackie seek some sort of justice. Still to this day, it's the most emotional experience I have ever had with a conversation on camera.
Jackie opened up about Nicole and what type of person she was and what lead to her death. I didn’t know what would come of the interview, but I kept in touch and decided to offer my support.
We had no aim at the beginning; I just continued filming Jackie’s journey and creating social media videos as Jackie progressed through her campaign to bring in Coco's Law.
Throughout this process, I witnessed Jackie’s determination and drive to make everyone aware of her daughter's tragic passing, and to cement a legacy for Nicole. I saw how she struggled before every meeting or speech, how she fought through the nerves and the anguish she suffered every day - she never wavered, not once.
It wasn’t until after Jackie managed to get the law passed that we considered making a documentary from the footage. I reached out to several different production companies and acquaintances to get this project to the right people, but it wasn’t until I met Alex Fegan that the possibility became a reality.
Alex is a brilliant filmmaker and producer who approached RTÉ on my behalf and presented what we had. After hearing how much of the story had been captured, RTÉ quickly came on board.
Jackie was about to embark on a whole new journey to make Coco's Law an EU-wide Directive, which brought the team to Brussels, Strasbourg, Slovenia and Croatia.
It's been almost 6 years since I first met Jackie Fox, and going through the footage we had captured over those years was a real eye opener. The strength and determination she displayed from day one of Nicole’s death is nothing short of astonishing and I feel privileged that she would trust me and allow me into her life to help her in any way.
She is a true hero and I hope someday she finds peace, knowing that she set out to achieve something that a lot of people would have deemed impossible.
Jackie & Coco, RTÉ One, Monday January 22nd at 9.35pm - catch up afterward on RTÉ Player.
