Learning To Breathe Under Water, directed by Rebekah Fortune, has completed production in Galway, Ireland, with the support of WRAP.
Featuring an impressive cast led by Rory Kinnear (The Imitation Game) and Maria Bakalova (The Apprentice), the film has already garnered significant international interest, with pre-sales to territories including Benelux (September Film), Bulgaria (Beta), Eastern Europe excluding Poland (HBO), Former Yugoslavia (Karantanija Cinemas), the Middle East (Front Row), Poland (Best Film), and airline distribution (Aardwolf). The project is co-produced by Ireland’s Wildcard (Patrick O’Neill) and the UK’s Shudder Films (Jack Tarling), whose previous collaboration on Kneecap was both a box office success and Ireland’s submission for the Oscars.
Learning to Breathe Under Water follows an eight-year-old boy (newcomer Ezra Carlisle) as he navigates life after the death of his mother while his father swings between manic creativity and debilitating anxiety. The arrival of a Bulgarian au pair, played by Bakalova, brings unexpected changes to the household.
The film represents a global collaboration, with co-production partners including KeyFilm in the Netherlands, One Wave Films in Wales, and Eiru Films in the west of Ireland. Funding came from several prestigious bodies, including Screen Ireland, the BFI Global Screen Fund, Ffilm Cymru, the Netherlands Film Fund, Bankside Films, and Three Point Capital. WRAP investment played a vital role in facilitating production in Galway city, allowing the project to showcase the region’s talent, locations, and industry infrastructure. The feature was film in and around Galway City utilising Galway Airport as a studio space where several sets were built.
This is Fortune’s second feature film, following her acclaimed 2017 debut Just Charlie, which won the Ecrans Junior Award at Cannes, the Audience Award at Edinburgh, and was nominated for two BIFAs.
Original article by Mona Tabbara and published on Screen Daily. Read it here.
See also ‘Learning to Breath Under Water’ wraps production at Eirufilms.com