FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

IFTA AWARDS 2024

Verdigris

A reluctant retiree struggles in a controlling marriage, until an unlikely friendship with an abandoned teen sex worker teaches her to live life on her own terms, no matter the cost.

Director: Patricia Kelly
Writer: Patricia Kelly
Producers: Paul FitzSimons | Patricia Kelly

Filmmaker Q&A

Q: What was the genesis of this film, and how did it evolve over the course of development to production and completion?

• Patricia Kelly (Director/Writer): A number of years ago I worked as a census enumerator in Dublin's north inner city, and it was a hugely interesting experience, so I knew that I would write about it at some stage. I also knew that I wanted to explore several themes, one of which being the preconceptions that we can have about different social classes.
  Creating a fish-out-of-water story about a middle-class, middle-aged census enumerator in an environment she would be very uncomfortable in, also gave me the scope to explore lots of other themes including coercive control, body image issues and sex work. The script, of course, went through a good number of drafts during development and pre-production and was also aided by my holding workshops with actors and with taking part in a course by renowned script editor Mary Kate O’Flanagan. 

Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from the film? 

• Geraldine McAlinden (Actor): Hope and courage through the power of friendship, empathy and acceptance, and never to judge a book by its cover.
• Maya O’Shea (Actor): A strong remembrance that you know nothing about what goes on behind closed doors. And that a small decision to act can change your life.

Q: What did you feel was the most fulfilling element of working on this film?

• Tania Freimuth (Cinematographer): For me the most fulfilling element of working on Verdigris was the collaborative process of developing the visual narrative with the director Patricia Kelly and, as a result, the great joy of being able to choreograph the handheld camera action in coordination with the actors.
• Michael James Ford (Actor): Probably the satisfaction of being part of a great team - working under pressure on a tiny budget but with a shared commitment and belief in the potential of the project. The crew were exceptional and the atmosphere on the shoot was always exciting and supportive.
• Joseph Conlan (Composer): As the composer it was reacting to these performances, this story, these faces, the process of coming up with a musical background to heighten the emotion and help tell the story.

Q: Why is it important to see your work represented at the IFTAs and to be acknowledged by your peers in the Irish film community? 

• Paul FitzSimons (Producer): It is always hugely rewarding when those we are working with – and at times competing with – recognise the quality of our work and the dedication that has gone into it. VERDIGRIS being enjoyed by fellow IFTA members and celebrated at the awards will be hugely important to the film’s success and to the careers of everyone involved in bringing it to life.
• Killian Filan (Actor): Growing up watching the IFTAs, I always have associated it with a high level of prestige and as a showcase of hard work. It would be great to see the project get the recognition it deserves. Hopefully it would encourage even more people to go out and watch a film, which I feel is entertaining and also has the capacity to open viewers minds to alternative walks of life in modern Ireland.