THE filming of a Beara-based writer’s feature film will begin next year in locations across West Cork and the Philippines.
The feature film, with a budget of $15m, is an adaptation of the bestselling novel Dolphin Song, which was published by Eyeries resident Tom Richards in 2021.
Tom and Will Parry co-wrote the screenplay, bringing Dolphin Song’s story of romance, tragedy and hope to the big screen.
Tom drew from his personal experiences of grief when creating the story. He is carrying on the production of Dolphin Song in honour of the late filmmaker Liam O’Neill, who was heavily involved in the project and was a great friend of Tom’s before he died tragically in 2020 from Covid-19.
‘It is a book that is close to my heart because if it hadn’t been for my late best friend, Liam O’Neill, it would never have been written,’ said the author.
The novel and film are also dedicated to his partner Carmel Murray, who has sadly been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
‘Both of them are now gone,’ he said, ‘Liam has passed on from Covid. Carm is gone because she doesn’t remember me. It’s horrible but, well, we all just have to keep marching to a different tune now.’
Tom said the story offers a ‘ray of hope’, to people who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
‘If you believe the world that we now live in is filled with sorrow, Dolphin Song gives us the hope we all need to believe that those we’ve lost to illness, age, or accident are somehow still with us,’ said Tom.
In the story, Bostonian Dawn McCarthy is grieving the loss of her husband Michael who died at sea, when her son Jason becomes mute from the trauma of his father’s passing. Following the double tragedy, Dawn returns to Ireland with Jason in a bid to heal and find solace.
At a solitary cove where they used to spend time as a family, the appearance of a dolphin brings newfound hope to Dawn. In the days that follow, she witnesses a powerful bond grow between Jason and the dolphin, and her son slowly starts to reconnect with life.
Tom said the premise for the entire book is based on a question Dawn poses to the parish priest, when she asks him whether it is possible to love someone so completely that they never die.
‘The answer of course is yes,’ said Tom. ‘Despite the fact that our loved ones may have passed on, many of us choose to believe that they still surround us with their songs of great love, hope and guidance.’
Co-director Rinka SyCip said that the film will resonate with audiences as it is a story of our times. ‘It is a voyage at first filled with darkness, then happiness and light,’ she said.
‘After I read the screenplay I broke down and cried,’ said Rinka. ‘This message of hope is so needed for all of us.’
Having been unsuccessful in his application for funding from Screen Ireland, Tom found a start-up production company Cinema d’Auteur, which is based in New York and the Philippines. Cinema d’Auteur will be co-producing the film alongside independent filmmakers and Tom’s own company Storylines Entertainment.
Many of the scenes in the book are based along the Beara peninsula in locations such as Allihies, Castletownbere and Glengarriff and Tom said shooting will take place in some of these areas, as well as in the Philippines where Cinema d’Auteur is based.
Tom said the budget did not allow for some filming in the US, as was his original plan, as this would cost upwards of $200m. However, by filming some of the scenes in the Philippines and about 30% of the film In Ireland, production costs are reduced to $15m, he said.
The production team includes Anthony El-estwani and Zack and Rinka SyCip who have worked with Walt Disney Corporation and other global production companies.
Tom hopes the film will generate a lot of profits for his company so that he can create a trust to help many people who are suffering in Ireland from prevalent issues such as homelessness, poverty, Alzheimer’s and Covid-19.
‘There are so many people who are suffering out there, and I can’t stand it,’ he said.
The release date for Dolphin Song and casting details will be confirmed soon.
