CONTACT

CONTACT is about Richard, a troubled and misunderstood young man, and the tender grasp he has on the realities around him. Living in a rundown almost dystopian apartment complex in inner-city Dublin, and constantly hounded by a nightmarish gang of local youths, the one hope that remains for Richard is his devoted girlfriend Karen. But Karen has been seeing the cracks grow in his mental stability, and begins to worry what the future holds for the relationship if Richard locks them both away from the world.

A short film written, starring, & co-produced by Joe Lynch, directed by Stephen Brady ("Normal"), and produced by Eilís Abbott and Michael O'Dwyer of Driftwood Doll Films. It was shot by Denis Miranda.

JOE LYNCH, actor / writer / producer on the story of CONTACT :

Michael (co-writer, producer with Driftwood Doll Films) asked me to come up with one or two short film ideas while we were writing our feature film "Turning Point".

"Contact" is like two stories mashed together; the first about someone suffering from alcohol abuse, something a lot of Irish people can relate to, and the effects it has. I've witnessed people close to me talking to themselves, and muttering, and my belief is it's through loneliness that it comes about. It's a sad thing to see, it really is.



The second part that is mixed into it comes from where I grew up, remembering someone not fitting in to the "norm" - he dresses different, and talks different, and that can lead to bullying and so on!



So "Contact" is about LIFE, and what happens when you don't fit in, so through Richard (the main character) I wanted to show someone who wasn't the typical street-smart, Jack-the-lad that we were all used to from the areas I grew up in. When you don't fit in, and dress and talk differently, it can make you seem a weirdo to the "norm", and that all has a knock on effect.

We made the film to hopefully put forward the idea that we can think before we act, and not make a bad situation worse for someone. Writing this, I'm speaking to myself as much as anyone else.


We can always be better, can't we?