Wildcard Distribution has announced that it has acquired the rights for I Used To Live Here, the powerful new feature film from Irish writer-director Frank Berry. The film, which won the Best First Feature Audience Award at last year’s Galway Film Fleadh, will be released in Irish cinemas on Good Friday, April 3rd.
I Used To Live Here follows Amy Keane, a 13-year-old trying to cope with the death of her mother and the reappearance of her father’s ex-girlfriend, who experiences the temptation of suicide after witnessing the outpouring of love for a local suicide victim. The film takes a fictional look at how the idea of suicide can spread in communities, particularly among young people.
Speaking about the theatrical release, film-maker Frank Berry said [quote]It is a pleasure to work with Wildcard Distribution who have shown great enthusiasm and passion for our film. I Used to Live Here explores the urgent issue of suicide clusters among teenagers, and features a cast of mostly local people from the community of Killinarden in Tallaght. I’m delighted that their commitment and their remarkable talent will soon be up on the big screen for everyone to see.[/quote]
From the director of the award-winning documentary Ballymun Lullaby and researched with the assistance of Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, the film features performances from a mostly non-professional cast including Jordanne Jones, Dafhyd Flynn, James Kelly and Ross Geraghty, and filmed on the streets of Killinarden in Tallaght, Dublin, the film offers a striking dramatic representation of a real-life community on screen.
Speaking about the film, Dr. Tony Bates, CEO and Founding Director of Headstrong, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health said: [quote]What Frank and the community of Killinarden have achieved is remarkable both from the point of view of film-making and from the point of view of deepening our collective understanding of why so many young people turn to suicide. We see how easy it is for any of us to lose our way. And, more importantly, what it takes to find our way back.[/quote]
I Used To Live Here will be released in Irish cinemas on April 3rd by Wildcard Distribution, certificate 15A.