Shooting has just wrapped in Waterford and Tipperary on the short film ‘The Ottoman Empire’ co-funded by Galway Film Centre and RTÉ. The comedy was scripted and directed by James Phelan (writer, Rasai na Gaillimhe) and was produced by Geraldine Heffernan for Dungarvan based company, Nemeton.
The film stars Tom O Súilleabháin (Rasaí na Gaillimhe) as a man who knows what happens to objects that vanish down the back of couches. Armed with this terrible knowledge, he is determined to avoid couches for the rest of his life but he finds them somewhat inescapable when his manic ramblings about sofas mean that the very first place he is pushed towards is a psychiatrist’s couch.
The film also includes Carrie Crowley (School Run, The Clinic) as a sceptical and scurrilously indiscreet doctor. The human cast is rounded out by American actor Gary Hetzler (Moonlight Mile) and local Tipperary actress Tara Power. In addition, the film features couches as fully fledged characters through expert puppetry and couch design provided by Bui Bolg from Wexford.
Director of Photogrpahy for the project was Paddy Jordan (Feileachan, Free Chips Forever) and production design was done by Ben Hennessy of Waterford’s Red Kettle Theatre Company. Other members of the crew include Kieran Curtin (Aisling’s Diary) on sound and the film’s editor is Andrew Hearne (Bye Bye Now) who will cut the film at Nemeton’s post production facilities in Ring outside Dungarvan
‘The Ottoman Empire’ is Nemeton’s first foray into drama. To date, they have produced only documentaries and live sport but managing director, Irial Mac Murchú, tells IFTN he is delighted with this new departure. “We believe this will open many new possibilities for us in this exciting new genre. Drama is the highest form of production and that is where we intend to be."
