The Favour Game

Paul Farren conducts an indoor heated two-sided round table event with filmmakers behind two recent Irish features, Martina Niland, co-producer of The Honeymooners and Sean Walsh Director and co-producer of Bl.,m.

Paul Farren: Can you tell me about Bl.,m and its beginnings?

Sean Walsh: In 1993 the IPU were going to start a series based on literature and I thought, Jesus so few people have actually really read Ulysses. I spoke to David Norris who I knew and I spoke to Arthur Lappin. RTÉ said, "It's a great idea Sean, we don't think you can do it." I said thanks very much and went off and spent thirty thousand pounds of my own money, made a promo, which was shot by Seamus Deasey. I brought it to RTÉ, they said, "Great promo, Sean but you'll have to get Seamus Deasey to do it. We don't think you can do it." I just said thanks very much and kept on going. Did the first draft. David Norris read it. As you know he takes no prisoners. He rang me and said, "How in God's name have you done this? You've managed to capture the essence of the book!" Sent it to RTÉ. They said, "It's a great script." They said, " You can do it!" I also applied to the Film Board and they didn't want to help me. I went to the markets and I think the basic proposition was too difficult. Yes, here's a guy who has twenty years' experience in this business but has never made a feature film. Second, he wants to do a period costume drama. Third, he has a small budget. Fourth, it's based on the most complex book of the twentieth century.

PF: Martina, you didn't struggle through the process quite as long Sean?

Martina Niland: The Honeymooners arrived on our desk around 2001 I think. I wouldn't describe it as a romantic comedy... it's hard to put a finger on it. Karl Golden (writer/director of The Honeymooners) is influenced by Woody Allen and the story is about two people on their journey. We read the script and I liked it, but I knew it would depend a lot on who we got to act in it, to bring it to another level. We applied to the Board and got development and things started to move quite quickly. Karl worked with a script editor in London, and we had second, third, fourth drafts. Notes constantly on that. Then we had a meeting and said this could go quite quickly. We were kind of bold: we set a date. You know, otherwise it just goes on and on. We set a shooting date and we went to the Film Board with the whole package.

The full article is printed in Film Ireland 95