‘Dead Along The Way’ to celebrate its roots back in the Kingdom
MADE for a mere €10,000, Tralee director Maurice O’Carroll’s first feature film’s achievements have outstripped those of far costlier ventures – and now Kerry is ready to welcome Maurice and celebrate the Kingdom’s strong association with the film.
It featured prominently at the IndieCork Film Festival and Galway Film Fleadh’s rosters, and took the Best Picture prize at Dublin’s Underground Film Festival.
The week ahead will be another lively one for O’Carroll and his team; on March 4 ‘Dead Along The Way’ will enjoy a screening at the Chicago Irish Film Festival, before its Kerry Premiere at Cinema Killarney on Tuesday, March 7.
Described as ‘a gritty and sometimes dark comedy of errors,’ critics and audiences have offered ‘Dead Along The Way’ a warm reception since its completion.
It follows a pair of down-on-their-luck wedding videographers - Wacker and Tony, played by Niall Murphy and Game of Thrones’ Ciaran Bermingham respectively - whose lives are thrown into disarray by the fallout of a visit by a notorious loan-shark Big Jim, played by Tralee man Tom Lawlor, father of LoveHate star Tom Vaughan Lawlor.
The senior Lawlor said he’s ‘very much looking forward’ to the Killarney premiere, praising the Kerry cohort involved with the film, as well as O’Carroll’s talents.
“I would describe Maurice as an inspirational presence on-set; I’ve worked with him on a number of short-films, and he’s not too precious with his scripts. He creates an atmosphere in which an actor can be creative and have their say in matters; he gets the best out of everyone” Lawlor said.
“He wrote, edited, and directed ‘Dead Along the Way’ and he is a very talented, professional guy.
“He has a great appreciation for Kerry’s place in the world of cinema; he filmed his best-known shorts primarily in Tralee and Killarney. There’s a great buzz around Tralee right now in terms of film-making and interest in cinema, and I know he has ambitions of making the most of that interest with his future projects,” Lawlor added
Lawlor and Carroll make up only a smidgeon of Kerry’s involvement in ‘Dead Along The Way’; Dingle and Listowel are represented by actresses Elaine Kennedy and Tara Downe respectively, while Maurice’s wife Elaine - herself from Tralee originally - co-produced alongside Sinead O’Riordan.
Killarney-based John Magee also appears, and told The Kerryman that Maurice is going to be ‘a very big name’ in the years ahead.
“Maurice is excellent at what he does, and we’ll hear a lot more of him in future.
“He’s a very easy man to work for, and I have to say I very much enjoyed the whole experience,” John added
A ‘Question and Answers’ session will follow the screening, at which the director, producers and cast members will take questions on the film’s story to date, as well as discussing Kerry’s standing on the Irish cinematic scene and how it may develop in years ahead.
You can pay in on the night, but tickets can also be pre-booked online at www.cinemakillarney.com.