| NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Our three candidates have now been chosen to work on Lights Out! as part of the television show No Experience Required! One of their tasks involved interviewing a member of the cast or crew of one of the headline films, 32A. Check out the three interviews below. Sophie Jo Wasson Interview By Aidan Knowles “32A - yes, it’s a reference to bra size!” Firstly let me assure those worrying parents that are troubled by the title of this quirky little Dublin story. I can safely say that, despite the connotations, the movie is safe to bring the kids to! Surprisingly yet to receive general release in its native country of Ireland, Marian Quinn’s feature length movie 32A has been causing a storm in film festivals around the world for the past year. Delighting audience and critics alike, the film has already been awarded the Tiernan Mc Bride award for its witty, genuine and original script. 32A is set in the North Dublin suburb of Raheny at the break of the 80’s, revolving around the story of four girls who are on the brink of womanhood and the problems they encounter growing up in Ireland during such a distinctive and electrifying era. In preparation for the film’s big screening as part of the midweek gala of the Lights Out Film Festival in the IFI, I caught up with one of the lead actresses, Sophie Jo Wasson, to find out what it was like for her to be part of such an exciting project.
Sophie Jo Wasson at the IFI Sitting in the library of the IFI, I was both nervous and excited to meet the young actress and hear what she had to say about the flick. In the film Sophie Jo plays the complex Ruth Murray, a girl who has a lot on her mind and relies on her loyal friends to back her up. Amazingly, despite her mature performance as a character with difficult to deliver dramatic moments, I was very astonished to hear this was Sophie’s first feature film. Curious, I asked how she found being on the stressful environment of a set. “At first it was really hectic and quite shocking with all the cast and crew running around everywhere” she told me. Although she has been doing drama since she was five years old, the 5am start every morning for the duration of the film’s tight twenty eight day schedule was a new experience. After a couple of days however, she explained “everyone settled into it” and even the regular hair and makeup checks didn’t faze Sophie. With such conditions I imagined having to share a set with the other three girls must have been trying? “Oh no, we hit it off from day one!” she told me. They spent the best part of their waking hours in each other’s company and did everything together, naps included! Now even off the screen, the four girls remain firm friends. Shooting a period movie on such a small budget obviously produced a few problems for director Marian Quinn but I wondered what problems Sophie herself encountered trying to enter the world of Ruth Murray. One of the earliest difficulties, she told me, was trying to ‘master’ that Dublin accent that is so prevailing during the movie. Luckily her drama coach was brought in to help and, after a couple of days, she managed to “slip into it no problem”. Another difficulty occurred when it came to film an early kissing scene. “It was embarrassing!” proclaimed Sophie before divulging how it took a whopping twenty five takes to ‘get it right’. Now that is dedication! Despite such moments, Sophie has no regrets. If anything, 32A has even further reinforced her dream of becoming an actress. “It’s definitely something I want to do as a career” she told me. She is in fact already thinking about her next project, a play called Chatroom which will show as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival in September. Not to worry the diehard fans though, I was assured that Ruth Murray certainly won’t be the last role on the big screen for Sophie Jo Wasson. Wrapping up the interview I decided to give Sophie a precious chance to sell the movie to all those indecisive people so I asked the big, burning question - why should you go see 32A? “It’s fun, light, everyone can relate to the characters and … it’s good!” I must admit I couldn’t agree more. It’s certainly been a hectic year for the leading young cast of 32A and the train hasn’t stopped just yet. We are happy to announce that the director, the producer and all the girls are happy to attend a special screening in the IFI on Wednesday, July 16th at 6:40am. This is your chance to see what all the fuss is about! |
Interview with Marian Quinn By David Vard It’s the day before 32A is to be shown at the Lights Out! Film Festival and I was given the task to interview not only an actress in the film but also the director and writer Marian Quinn, a task that was difficult not only because it was my first interview but also because it was done over the phone with a film crew surrounding me! But that is why I am here after all.
Marian Quinn is a Illinois born actress, director and writer who has a river full of acting roles, which include Evelyn (co-starring Pierce Brosnan) and Broken Harvest which is one of her best-known films. But when it comes to directing and writing she only has two films flowing in that river; her first film called Come To was a short but an immensely powerful film. Her sophomore effort, 32A, is something that Marian has been working on for several years. “It started as a short story and has just grown from there.” That short story is now making its way around all the major film festivals including the Seattle International Film Festival, the Emden Film Festival and the Berlinale Festival. “One of the producers of the film is from Germany, Roshanak Behesht Hedjad, so Germany played a big part in the making of the film as we got some of the funding for the film from there.” The story is centered around four girls and their friendship, and how that friendship is tested when one of the girls ditches the others in favour of going to ‘The Grove’ (a very famous teenage disco in Raheny) with the local heartthrob. This was a story that Marian felt must come from the girls’ point of view. “There have been many films coming out of Hollywood lately about the seventies and teenage girls, but they all seem very cartoony.” 32A is about how thirteen year old girls handle friendship and love. The production side of 32A was unique is its own right. Marian and her partner Tommy Weir run their own production company called Janey Pictures. “Tommy does the producing while I do the directing and the writing.” Marian also comments on the fact that getting a film made in Ireland is a lot of hard work. “It’s great that Ireland has its own film board. We are lucky to have that. When I was living in New York we had to get our film protects privately funded, but in Ireland we have a film board that can help you out with the financing but you also end up going to other places as well.” Finance is a big part in any film especially a period film. “Oh God it was extremely difficult. We wanted to create a look for the film that suited the era and tone. We knew that being on this kind of low budget was going to be a challenge but we tried to use it to our advantage. For example we used a lot of long lens shots which throw the modern environment out of focus but also gives the film a visual density and a consistent look.” When asked about the budget she also mentioned how difficult it was to get a production designer. “Trying to get a production designer was a nightmare. They all laughed and told us it was impossible to make a period film on that budget, but when we found Paki Smith we couldn’t have been luckier. He did a fantastic job and we could not be more grateful.” Marian also went into a lot of detail on how the production team got the perfect seventies look. “The design team scoured car boot sales for months trying to get it right. It was a hard job but they did an amazing job.” In talking about the costumes the girls wore, Marian touched upon some of the tricks that they used. Back then teenage girls did not have an outfit for everyday of the week, so we played along with that so the girls only had a few outfits to wear which helped the costume department out a lot. We also kept the girls in their school uniform as much as possible which also added to the seventies feel.” As this is only Marian’s second film that she has directed it is not surprising that it is her first time working with young actors. “They were fantastic. They were just so excited to be in a film. I can remember the first day of filming when the girls arrived screaming at the top of their voices in a car. We really could not have asked for a better cast.” Also present in the cast were parts of Marian’s own family. This included her brother Aidan, a well established actor, and two of her sons. “Talk about pressure! God what was I thinking! No they were really great. It wasn’t the first time I worked with my family. I had worked with my other brother a few times and Aidan is always great to work with.” Marian was full of praise for her two sons. “I have been told that you couldn’t tell the difference between the character and the actor. It was like they were playing themselves in the movie, they did great.” The interview then progressed into talk about the success of the movie including its big win at last year’s Galway Film Festival. “It was the perfect ending to the weekend. It was just perfect.” Marian also talked about her joy at the Berlinale Festival. “It was just a privilege to be asked.” I slowly moved away from talking about the film and started to ask her about how she got into film. “I can remember as a teenager dragging my friends to Dublin Youth Theatre, where my first love for the arts really began.” Marian also joked about going to see Saturday Night Fever, which pops up in 32A. “Aside from the arthouse films, I also enjoyed the occasional trip to the Savoy to see such films as…….well Saturday Night Fever is the only one that comes to mind.” As the Lights Out! festival is based around young people and film, I asked her what advice she would give to budding young directors, actors and writers. “Just go for it. Don’t wait around for permission. Just do it. If you have a camera and a computer then you’re set to shoot and edit your own film. If you want to be a writer then write a small little piece and perform it in front of the camera.” Marian Quinn has really arrived with this film and is not going anywhere. 32A is having a Gala screening tomorrow in the IFI, so pop along if you want a laugh and maybe even a cry! Awhhh young love. |
Bras, Boyfriends and the ups and downs of being a teenager in 1979: Ailish McCarthy talks about her role as Maeve Brennan in Marian Quinn’s radiant and delightful production 32A by Patrick Fitzgerald
Ailish McCarthy
One of the main highlights of the Lights Out Festival this year will be the midweek gala screening of 32A at the Irish Film Institute. The movie, set in Raheny in 1979, follows the lives of four young teenage girls, and has received much acclaim and praise, winning both the Tiernan McBride Award for Screenwriting and Best First Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh. I catch up with Ailish McCarthy, who plays the lead character Maeve Brennan, to have a chat about her experiences as a young actress and her views about what really is the essence of 32A.
I meet up with Ailish in the reception of the IFI. Seeing the movie for the first time yesterday, I was slightly taken aback as this isn’t your typical children’s movie. As Ailish puts it simply, “It’s about bras.” I then proceed to question her about her first impression of the script. Cheerfully she replies; “I thought it would be a good laugh, a bit of craic but there were some things going on in the script that I was asking myself, how’s that going to work?”. The movie was shot in Dublin and Sligo over a tight schedule of 28 days. I ask Ailish was it demanding to shoot a movie in such a short space of time? “Oh definitely! We’d have to start at seven in the morning and we’d finish around eight so it was pretty tough, but if I had the chance to do it all again I’d grab it.” Intrigued at this notion of shooting in Sligo to make the film look like it was actually set in Raheny in 1979, I ask her about making part of the movie in Sligo. “We went to Sligo for a week but it was mostly set in Dublin”. As I have never been to Sligo, and since the only two things that I know come from Sligo are W. B. Yeats and Westlife (quite an odd combination), my image of Sligo being the Raheny of 1979 was instantly crushed. However, I moved on to my next question… “She’s a bit of an odd one”. That was Ailish’s description of her character Maeve Brennan. Thinking back to the dark days of my Junior Certificate Irish test, the poem on which I wrote my essay was about a child who acts like an adult (referring to this memory I would like to thank Sr. Joan without whom I wouldn’t have got an A!) but I think the same idea applies to Maeve. I mention this to Ailish and she nods in agreement. I go deeper by saying “Marian Quinn describes you as ‘a quirky Maeve’. Could you see yourself in the character of Maeve?” She begins by saying that there are huge resemblances between herself and Maeve, emphasising especially Maeve’s strong close-knit relationship with her small circle of friends. Being the man I am, I was eager to learn more. “I treasure every one of my friends” would have to be one of the points that she raised that stood out the most for me when I was later reflecting on the interview. It shows that teenagers are quite the same no matter what era it is. As the interview got into a nice flow, I began to ask the questions which I had intentionally left at the bottom of the page. I ask; “What grabs a lot of attention is that your character has this obsession with bras. How did you react to this? Even the old nun doesn’t have immunity from your glaring eyes.” As if she had anticipated the question, she bursts out laughing and says “The same way I’m reacting now. I had a bit of laugh with it. People go ‘Oh you’re in a film, what’s it about?’ and I reply ‘It’s about bras’. The mood always changes instantly. They try to be polite and say ‘that’s nice’ but it does freak people out.” I think I handled the question well. It wasn’t like the question she told me which she was asked at the Galway Film Fleadh by a guy hidden at the back of the corner of the cinema who roared out “What size bra are you now?” I wouldn’t be surprised if I were burnt at the stake back in Tralee when I go home if people think the movie is just about bras, but it isn’t. It’s the story of four young girls, not just growing up physically but also growing up emotionally. And I feel that’s something that everybody can empathise with and relate to. Well that was the first uncomfortable question out of the way, I briskly moved onto the next question, which is one of those typical, really ‘girly’ questions. “In the movie your character falls for the charismatic charmer Brian Power. Is it hard for a teenager to do an on-screen kiss?” “To be honest I was freaking out and then I went backstage and called my Mum and she said ‘Don't be doing anything now you wouldn't want to do’. I really didn’t want to be having this conservation with my Mum. But it was so embarrassing.” Finally I finish up the interview by asking Ailish to give me one reason to convince you, the reader of this article, to go to see this movie. Her answer fits in perfectly with the aim of 32A -“Well you’ve got to warn people it’s about bras but other than that, it’s great craic.” I couldn’t agree more. Once 32A reels you in, it’s the best bit of entertainment that will enlighten you and surely will be one of the high points of the Lights Out festival. For Ailish it looks like she’s got her first taste of the film industry and hopefully we’ll hear more from this upcoming Irish star. Certified 15A, 32A will be shown this Wednesday the 16th of July at 6:40 in the Irish Film Institute on Eustace Street. As an added bonus, the cast, the producer and the director will be there to introduce the movie and will be there to answer questions after the screening. |
