EXPAT’S PARIS PREMIERE OF WALES’ GLORIOUS EURO RUN
AN expat Welsh football fan who now lives in Paris was so keen to see Don’t Take Me Home, the story of Wales’ unexpected and glorious Euro 2016 campaign, that he’s arranged for it to be shown in the French capital – on the eve of the France v Wales Six Nations showdown.
And now Dominic O’Shea is inviting both Wales football supporters and those rugby fans in the city for the crucial match the next day at Stade de France to come along and watch the film, which has received rave reviews on its release this week.
Made by Merthyr Tydfil filmmaker Jonny Owen, the movie had its premiere in London last week before being shown at special screenings across Wales on St David’s Day, ahead of its UK-wide release on Friday.
Dominic, 30, has been living in Paris since 2008.
Originally from Neath, he studied law and French at Swansea University and moved to France after graduating.
A member of the Paris Welsh Society, he was thrilled when he discovered that France was going to be hosting Euro 2016 and even more thrilled when Wales got there. He said when he saw the trailer for Don’t Take Me Home he had to see the film.
“I wanted to see it ASAP. I couldn’t get to Wales to watch it in the cinema, so having a Paris premiere was the only option. With France v Wales in the Six Nations coming up, my brain started to go into overdrive and I tweeted Jonny (Owen) on the offchance we could make it work.
“He put me in touch with James Dobbin from (film company) National Amusements, who has been brilliant in helping me set it up.”
The premiere is taking place at Publicis cinemas on the Champs-Élysées on Friday, March 17 – and Dominic cannot wait to relive what was for him an epic and memorable Euros.
Not only did he get to fulfil a cherished ambition – to witness his beloved football team actually qualify for a major championship for the first time in more than 50 years – but his first child was born during Euro 2016.
“I had to be there for the opening game vs Slovakia in Bordeaux,” said Dominic. “I had to sing the anthem with my dad – we thought we might never see Wales at a major tournament together. He’s 66 and the last time they qualified, he was eight.
“I was shaking singing the anthem. The noise was like an enormous wave and it did seem to carry them along. The fact we won was just the icing on the cake – I had seen Wales play at a major tournament, and that was a dream in itself.
“I missed the England game down to the inability to get a ticket, and I was at a friend’s wedding for the Russia game, though watching, of course, and then just went down the road in