Following acclaimed festival screenings at the Galway Film Fleadh, Guth Gafa and winner of the audience award at the IFI Documentary Film Festival, The Man Who Wanted to Fly will land in cinemas across Ireland from March 29th.
The Man Who Wanted to Fly tells the irresistible story of 80-something bachelor farmer Bobby Coote from Cavan who has had a lifelong dream to fly a plane. Enlisting the help of his neighbour Sean, the two set out to build their own field of dreams, cutting out a runway in Sean’s farm and even build a hangar in this small rural community. Bobby will get no encouragement from his brother Ernie, another octogenarian in the Coote family home. Ernie thinks the whole thing is daft but Bobby is determined to take to the skies if it’s the last thing he does.
Capturing the wonder of one man’s dreams The Man Who Wanted to Fly is a unique journey into a disappearing border hinterland and is sure to delight audiences across Ireland.
The Man Who Wanted to Fly is directed by Frank Shouldice and produced by Trisha Canning and Cormac Hargaden from Loosehorse with funding from Screen Ireland, RTÉ, and Dublin Aerospace.
It’s been a huge thrill for us to see audiences reacting so positively to our film at various festivals. It’s been a deep, emotional response and people have really taken Bobby Coote’s indomitable Cavan spirit to heart. Now that the film is about to find a wider audience, towns and cities around the country will have to buckle up for what is a unique and remarkable adventure. The Man Who Wanted to Fly is spreading his wings and we just can’t wait.
Frank Shouldice, Director