Podcast: Gerard Lough, Writer/Director of 'Spears'

In this Film Ireland podcast from the archives, originally released in 2022, Gemma Creagh talks to Gerard Lough, the Writer and Director of Spears.

Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.

Packed with twists and turns, Spears kicks off when a Private Investigator is sent from Ireland to Florence, Italy to track down a woman who mysteriously vanished there. Meanwhile in London, a Dissident Republican does an arm's deal with a new seller he does not trust. In Berlin, a scam artist spends a weekend with a married woman he tries to convince to leave with him. Each of the three men make a startling discovery which forces them to team up back in Ireland and take revenge on those who have wronged them. Fittingly, the film’s title is taken from the Emily Bronte quote; “Treachery and violence are spears pointed by both ends; they wound those who resort to them worse than their enemies.” Typical of the Neo Noir genre, the film is a stylish looking affair with tension and fear in abundance but trust in short supply. Over half of the film was shot in Donegal, Ireland with the rest of filming taking place in Florence, Berlin and London.

Spears now available on VOD on Amazon (UK & US) and at IFI@Home.

Gerard Lough

Gerard got his start in the industry in 2003 when he directed a music video while doing an internship at an American advertising agency. Since then, he has directed twelve music videos as well as several critically acclaimed short films such as the Stephen King adaption 'The Boogeyman' which received extensive press coverage and was screened at film festivals all over the world.

His first feature film as director was 'Night People', an ambitious, stylish and original horror film which was released in cinemas in November 2015. It was met with strong reviews upon release and cemented his signature style of striking visuals and sinister atmosphere. His second feature, a Neo Noir thriller called 'Spears' was released in cinemas in 2022.