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DEADLINE:How did you come on board as director?
Had Michael Whelan approached you with a script first?
And Michael Whelan is a copywriter working in the agency as his full-time job.
Gabriel Adewusi in Room TakenScreen Ireland
I always wanted to bring a project to the Focus scheme, which also funds bigger budget shorts.
And he said, You know what?
Im working on a script and wouldnt mind sharing it.
Brid Brennan inRoom TakenScreen Ireland
It was because of what was going on in my life at the time it really resonated with me.
DEADLINE:Lets talk about these two leads.
Where did you find Gabriel Adewusi?
And how did Brid Brennan get involved?
PEYTON:Brid is amazing.
So, shes been around for many years in the business.
Gabriel is a new up-and-comer.
He went to Bow Street Academy, which is a great drama school for up-and-coming actors.
Barry Keoghan, Niamh Algar, and other talented actors went there as well.
What draws you to these types of narratives?
PEYTON:Good question [laughs].
Thats also about someone whos very much on the fringes of society and an outsider.
So, it depends on the story, but thats what Im drawn to at the moment.
DEADLINE:The mortality that the short deals with is so interesting.
Theres a question of is he taking advantage of her or is he just being resourceful?
How did you work with Michael on the moral ambiguity of the script?
PEYTON:We tried to create a story where there was nuance and not a simple black-and-white thing.
Sometimes, people do things that are morally wrong or ambiguous or whatever for certain reasons.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Isaac isnt [hiding in her home] to take advantage.
He was doing that because he was in a difficult situation; it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Then, the decision unfolds, and he starts to empathize with Victoria.
Meanwhile, shes going through her own challenges.
Shes lonely too, like Isaac.
And he, knowing that hes probably done something wrong, wants to help her.
Not just to repay her.
But because shes struggling and he wants to be kind.
In a weird way, both of them end up helping each other, and they have this connection.
PEYTON:Theres a lot of different themes in the story.
I have my own connection, and Michael has his.
One of the core themes is grief.
Michaels brother passed away a couple of years ago.
Weve never really gotten into a conversation about why he wanted to explore this material.
But the fact that his brother died must have had a connection with him telling a story about grief.
And I think a character started to emerge.
So thats probably the two main themes he feels most connected tonot to speak for him, though.
For myself, my dad was ill for a good nine years.
He passed away during the pre-production of the film.
It was unexpected, but it was still a shock.
Thats probably one of the reasons why I felt so emotionally involved and invested in the story.
DEADLINE:What was the most challenging thing about filming?
Im kinda amazed by the camera work in the tight spaces in the house, especially the bathroom scene.
PEYTON:The bathroom was a logistical challenge and probably not how I envisioned that scene playing out.
I wouldve liked to be able to get a wider shot.
The reality of filmmaking and short films is sometimes you have to make sacrifices.
But a bigger challenge was the fact that we were dealing with very sensitive subject matter.
This was about someone who was experiencing homelessness.
This is about someone who was blind.
And I feel very aware of the stories that are happening in the country.
But we wanted to be very informed about the nuances of the characters we were portraying.
That was a huge challenge.
It was thought out.
DEADLINE:How did you work with the actors to depict this situation?
PEYTON:We tried to confirm that everyones voices were heard during the production.
That wasnt originally written in the script.
In Brids climactic scene, she speaks to the ghost of her dead husband.
It was written a different way, but she had ideas about how she wanted to perform it.
It was very much a collaborative environment and production.
DEADLINE:Colin Farrell joined on as an EP.
That must have been very affirming for you.
PEYTON:Were still pinching ourselves.
When you think about what hes done over the course of how many decades?
At least 20 years plus of making films.
Also, the people hes worked with?
Whether it be Martin McDonagh, Terrence Malick, or Yorgos Lanthimos.
The dude has done it.
To see him come on board and support this for him, tiny projects.
This is a really small little film, and hes passionate about it.
DEADLINE:What would you like people to consider or respond to within your short film?
And there is this hopeful message that division is not the answer.
