PUTTING SLIGO ON THE MAP
AMONG those in the audience at the Irish Film Premiere of ‘Halal Daddy’ were Sligonians who played some of the smaller roles in the movie.
The extras - which included an impressive Belly Dancing troupe - were thrilled to see the finished product on the big screen.
Actor Ciaran McCauley of the Blue Raincoat Theatre Company played the role of Ritchie.
He said: “It was incredible - getting to shoot a movie in your own home town with a speaking part over eight days. The crew were so sound and the ‘ heavy hitters’ or big name actors were really nice people.”
In respect of the scenic shots, he said: “Driving in and out to Strandhill every day, I totally get why someone just had to put that into a film. The footage was stunning without being twee, it was the right mix of town and countryside.”
He added: “Along with Martin McDonagh’s ‘Calvary’ this movie will serve as a high quality promo that will feed into that general idea that this is an amazing place to be.”
Ritchie Cunningham was one of the non-actors who played a small part in the film - the man who wants to open a tatoo parlour. He is a life long childhood friend of director Conor McDermott Roe.
The ‘Arts’ gene runs in Conor’s family. His sister actress Maria McDermott Roe also played a small part as did her daughter. In a case of life imitating art, it’s understood that part of the factory space used in the making of the movie is now being utilised by the community - with a wrestling ring already in place.
Conor McDermott Roe has certainly put Sligo on the map with his latest film. His pride of place seeps through with each exterior shot.
It took three years to get the finance together to make his movie work, but Conor has achieved something that everybody living in this wonderful part of the country can be proud of. He, together with the entire crew, now needs to get ‘ bums on seats.’ Hopefully the uptake on tickets will be as high elsewhere as it is bound to be in Sligo.