Santa Fe Film Festival - Groundless
Mary, a single mother who is plagued by poverty and crime, strives to instill decent, moral values in her children. But, can a mother's love triumph over the lure of the city streets?
Interview with Writer/Director Eimear Callaghan
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’ve had this idea for a long time and wanted to bring it to the big screen, to touch people in a certain way. Although a lot of people can relate to the characters in this film, to many, it is a totally foreign world as it is set in a very poor part of Dublin where crime is an everyday occurrence. It was important for me to open this world up to the audience as this way of life is many people’s reality. I feel like many people shy away from such topics and if they don’t, they sugar coat it in some way or another, or give it a happy ending which I feel isn’t always true to life. I wanted Groundless to be raw and real.
I also found that many of the films that are set in this world glorify gangland crime from the eyes of either the law or the gangsters, but rarely from the innocent victims who have done no wrong and for that reason, I wanted to tell their stories. I wanted to bring to the forefront the reality of the situation in today’s society.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film? How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Although not every person can appreciate the situation my characters are in, there is an underlining theme of love which runs throughout the film which is something everyone can understand. Love is the reason why the main character Mary does everything she does, which is something all audiences can appreciate and relate to. As this theme is universal the audience will instantly connect and root for Mary even though for most people, she lives in a totally foreign world. Aoibhinn McGinnity, who plays Mary, gave an outstanding performance and understood the character perfectly which really brought Mary to life. We can see how strongly the main character’s love for her sons is and the length she will go to to protect them. Everyone can identify with that in one way or another.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
I wrote roughly about 20 drafts of the script, adding in scenes, taking them back out again and changing them around but the script we shot was actually my very first draft. I knew what I wanted the story to be about, how I wanted it to progress and how it was going to end. I put so much thought into the characters and story that the script really wrote itself! Over the filming dates we filmed one or two extra scenes that we felt we may need in the edit, just as a back up to be safe. I was worried that because I knew the characters and the story inside out that maybe it wouldn’t be so clear to someone who was watching it for the first time, so those scenes were really just a safety net which we didn’t need in the end.
The final edit was the exact first draft of the script, from scene to scene. This is really rare as normally a lot of things change in post-production but we were very lucky that everything flowed really well and I was able to stay true to my original script. Something that did change however was some of the dialogue. I was so lucky with my cast as they all knew their characters inside out and would be vocal about if they thought their character might say their line in a slightly different way or switch out a word for another one. My cast Aoibhinn, Glen, Sam, Evan, Dave, Darragh, Keith, Mick, all of them, they were all such pros that we were constantly being creative on set and playing around with dialogue, changing lines and words right before filming the scenes! I was so lucky that we had that open relationship with each other so we could just constantly improve and add to the scenes.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback I have received has been absolutely amazing so far. Although I hoped people would accept and enjoy the film, I was shocked at all of the recognition it has been getting. I made Groundless with the hope of it showing in the ‘Galway Film Fleadh’ which is an Academy recognised film festival in Ireland. However, nothing could prepare me for when I found out it was part of the festival in July, I never thought it would actually happen! To go on and win an award then was just a dream come true. There were so many talented and well known filmmakers taking part in the festival and just to be a part of that was an honour. Since then, it has been officially selected to be part of film festivals all over America. It is so amazing to think that not only has Ireland accepted it but so has the rest of the world!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has definitely surprised me as I took a bit of a risk with the ending of the film and I didn’t know how people would react to it. Anyone who had read the script before we had started filming advised me against the ending. However, I went with my gut feeling and stuck with my original script as I wanted to stay true to the story I was trying to tell. I was worried that people wouldn’t accept this ending but to my surprise, many people have complimented me for it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am hoping to reach a wider audience, to give an opportunity for people to hear about the film and what it’s about. I feel it is important for people to know the reality of what goes on around them in today’s society, even if they’re not directly affected by it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Although Groundless has been widely accepted and successful in film festivals, we will need distributors to assist us in getting the film out to a wider audience after the festival run is over. We want as many people as possible to see this film, to spread our message and to open up discussion and debate on some of the many current topics that arise throughout the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would hope that I would impact people in a positive away, to raise awareness of violence in everyday life and the normality of this to some people. Many of the locations we filmed in were authentic as we wanted to stay true to the story and make it as real as possible. On numerous occasions we had many of the locals watching us film. One lady approached a member of our crew during a particularly hard scene we were filming and told of how real this was for her and of the horrific memories the scene was bringing back for her. A discussion needs to be sparked on these issues which isn’t happening from gangland films which glorify this kind of criminal activity.
People need to be aware of certain situations that people face in their daily lives so we can start to make a change. This doesn’t just go for Ireland, it is also relevant for countries such as America where there is currently a massive debate on gun control. Audiences need to know that the events in Groundless and gangland activity are happening every day and many people have had to just accept it as part of their everyday lives.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If you do everything right, can you still be overtaken by your surroundings? Although Mary has morals and teaches her children right from wrong, her surroundings keep on dragging her down through no fault of her own. Does this mean that children growing up surrounded by this activity have no chance in life? That no matter what they do, they will eventually succumb to their surroundings? Is this the reality for so many helpless families?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am doing a lot of writing at the moment, working on another script for a short drama and adapting a screenplay from a novel for a six part television drama.
Interview: January 2017
_______________________________________________________________________________
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
_______________________________________________________________________________
Groundless
Mary, a single mother who is plagued by poverty and crime, strives to instill decent, moral values in her children. But, can a mother's love triumph over the lure of the city streets?
Length: 10 Minutes
Director: Eimear Callaghan
Producer: Anthony McDonagh
Writer: Eimear Callaghan
About the writer, director and producer:
Groundless was made as a graduate film from DIT School of Media, Ireland. Eimear Callaghan not only wrote the screenplay but Groundless was her directorial debut. She is currently working on writing and bringing another script to life. Anthony also has a passion for writing and is working on creating more short stories.
Key Cast: Aoibhinn McGinnity, Dave Duffy, Glen Nee, Sam Hardy, Evan Darcy
Looking for: Distributors & Film Festival Directors
Where will it screen next?
New York City: Queen’s World Film Festival – March
Virginia: Richmond International Film Festival – March
Keep an eye on our facebook page @groundlessfilm and twitter @groundless_2016 for more dates and announcements coming up!