Irish-based filmmaker Virginia Gilbert and Irish actress Brenda Fricker are currently in production on Gilbert’s feature film debut ‘A Long Way From Home’ in the South of France.
IFTA and BAFTA-nominated Gilbert (Hesitation) and Oscar-winner Fricker (My Left Foot, Albert Nobbs), are in Nîmes shooting the feature-length film, which is based on a short story Gilbert wrote herself. The film tells the story of Joseph and Brenda who follow their dreams and move to the South of France, only to find themselves in a daily routine which Joseph longs to escape. A chance encounter introduces them to young couple Mark and Suzanne, and the story takes off from there.
James Fox (W.E., Sherlock Holmes) plays Joseph, while Fricker plays Brenda. Paul Nicholls, best known for playing Joe in BBC soap ‘Eastenders’, plays Mark and Nathalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) plays Suzanne.
Gilbert wrote the script for ‘A Long Way From Home’, and will direct, while Guillaume Benski of France-based Superbe Films will produce, with Junyoung Jang of February Films in the UK.
Irish-based Gilbert was nominated for both an IFTA and a BAFTA Award in 2008 for her short film ‘Hesitation’, and has since gone on to direct a number of productions for both film and television, including ‘Money, Money, Money’ and TG4 series ‘Striapacha’.
Fricker won the Academy-Award for Best Supporting Actress in Jim Sheridan’s ‘My Left Foot’ in 1990. She has since carved an impressive career for herself in both Ireland and Hollywood, landing roles in ‘The Field’, ‘Home Alone 2’, and most recently ‘Albert Nobbs’, for which she was nominated for an IFTA Award.
Hong Kong-based Sold Well International and France’s Vis Vires funded the film. Gilbert will continue to shoot in Nîmes until July 13, before post-production takes place in the UK.
‘A Long Way From Home’ is slated for a 2013 release.
