The two young lead actors of the upcoming feature film I Used to Live Here have been awarded scholarships for the Bow Street Young Filmmakers Academy in Dublin.
Jordanne Jones and Dafyhd Flynn, both making their acting debuts in the film, have been selected for the honour on the strength of their work in Frank Berry’s feature. The film explores the phenomenon of suicide clusters, dealing with the fallout from the death of a teenager in Tallaght and its effect on the wider community.
Director Berry spent months among the young people and adults at the Killinarden Youth Centre, first as an observer, and then conducting acting workshops based on scenes from his script. It was during this lengthy process that Jordanne and Dafhyd were selected for their roles in the film, and the pains taken by the filmmaker have paid off with a film that has an air of utter authenticity, provided in large part by the stunning work of its two young leads. To carry a film that deals with such a serious issue would be a difficult job at any age, but both young actors make light work of this burden, giving remarkably powerful and unaffected performances.
I Used to Live Here opens in cinemas on Friday, April 3rd.
