Article: Fog, Fear and Fractured Realities — Ryan A. Conaill on Crafting ‘Wishes of the Blue Girl’

With stunning cinematography that belies its shoestring budget, Wishes of the Blue Girl is a psychological horror that follows Isabel (Niamh Anna), anxious and isolated after a seemingly traumatic event. From the claustrophobic stillness of her vacant city house to a disjointed, surreal climax in the depths of the Irish wilderness, director Ryan A. Conaill tackles themes like grief, isolation and memory with a surreal, dreamlike eye, buoyed by a compelling lead performance and a haunting soundtrack upping the dread. 

Film Ireland contributor Conor Bryce talks to Ryan A. Conaill about shooting in Cork, getting the best out of his lead, and more.

Thanks for joining us! Wishes of the Blue Girl is a great film. Brilliantly shot, the cinematography is electric. Were you inspired or influenced by any specific directors, or films?

Yes, I love a lot of different filmmakers — not only horror, but especially those who work in the dark mystery genre. I really admire the tone in Lucile Hadžihalilović’s films. I was also influenced by some low-budget Irish films — especially Helen (2008) by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, and Tin Can Man (2007) by Ivan Kavanagh. Those films created a very strong sense of mood with minimal budget, so they definitely inspired me to hopefully achieve something similar.

You definitely did! What was it like shooting in and around Cork, and how did the shooting on location in Australia come about?

There is no doubt a charm to Cork City aesthetically, especially in the winter. You don’t have to dress it up. I’m very familiar with the streets here and had a good idea of easy places to shoot within a short distance. So we were trying to use all these low-cost locations to our advantage – I think that made it easy to shoot there.

Although I am from Irish parents and consider Cork my home, I was born in Australia, so I also visit family there regularly. That’s why I thought it would be interesting to contrast a small Irish city with a modern high-rise metropolis, so I wrote an element into the story that I could film while I was there, a few months before the main shoot.

As well as directing, you also co-wrote the film. How did that whole creative process go?

We didn’t really have a budget, but I had a camera and some basic equipment, and the only way I thought I could make this was to write a tailored script specifically around the resources I had. I had some initial ideas, locations, and scenes, and from that, wrote the skeleton of the script. I sent this to my twin brother in Australia, and we worked back and forth from there.

Did the finished product match your vision from when you originally wrote it, or did it evolve during production?

It always turns out different from what you imagine. Some scenes, when you write the script, you can visualise playing a certain way, but when you’re on set it comes out very differently. I think it’s all about taking advantage of that in editing. There are scenes I wrote that didn’t end up in the final film, and there are some throwaway scenes you’re surprised by — and want to extend. I think it’s good to be as open as possible in the editing stage and not tie it too closely to your original vision.

It’s a fantastic performance from your lead, Niamh Anna, and she’s practically never offscreen! How much of the character came from the page?

We just didn’t have the resources for an ensemble cast, so I always knew it would centre around one character, mostly alone in one house. That limitation helped shape the story and tone from early on. Niamh brought her own quality and look to Isabel’s character — we even used some of her clothes for the wardrobe.

We had a few webcam meetings before the shoot, and I made her watch some films I felt were tonally close to what I was going for. She had a solid sense of the character and had most of her performance prepared before we got to set. By the time we were shooting, she was completely locked in.

I’d almost count the score as co-lead, much like Niamh it’s omnipresent. Would I be right in saying nailing the right music and sound design, that would resonate with the audience at the right time, were particularly important to you?

It took me several months to search for all the dark, atmospheric music in the film that could make up a cohesive score. I even made some of the music myself. It was a long process to trawl through everything that was free for me to use, but it was important I got that right. I love a particular kind of sound design in movies — especially drones and ambient music. I really think these elements in a score are some of the most effective ways to draw the viewer into that world. If you don’t hear all those sounds, I think it really loses its bite — which is why this film should be played loud.

The second half of Wishes of the Blue Girl takes a sharp supernatural or psychological turn. Without giving too much away, do you favour one interpretation over the other?

Isabel’s perception of reality becomes increasingly unreliable as the film goes on, so the second half reflects that. The mystery is what has led her into this mindset — it’s all in the film, but it’s not designed to be fully noticeable on a first viewing. It’s always interesting to hear what people take from it.

There are two moments that stood out to me as perfect examples of that maybe/maybe not uncertainty: the Tarot reading scene and the scenes between Isabel and her parents. Can you talk us through how you created the distinctive, dreamy look that complimented this precariousness?

Isabel is uncertain about almost everything, so I knew the film shouldn’t look stable and sharp. It needed to feel like a memory or a dream, because these are the things that are plaguing her in the story. I went for a soft film look with a hazy, vintage quality. We shot handheld a lot, using some vintage lenses, and we chose a 4:3 aspect ratio to make Isabel feel even more caged in.

Niamh’s compelling lead performance, your creative cinematography and that constant, haunting score combine to make an eerie, moody, memorable film. Do you have a favourite scene or moment, or one that was particularly rewarding to see come together?

I really enjoyed filming the outdoor scenes in the woods — I was reluctant to cut that sequence down, which I think is always a good sign. It’s probably a bit of an odd choice, but I’ve always liked the scene in the first half where she ventures upstairs with the flashlight. It’s simple, but I think it captures the mood I was aiming for.

England has The Wicker Man, Japan has Ringu, USA has The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. What would you say is the quintessential Irish horror movie?

I’m not sure if there’s one that has achieved that level of notoriety yet, so I couldn’t say. However, I can tell you about some Irish horror films that more people should see — The Looking Glass (2011) by Colin Downey, and Without Name (2017) by Lorcan Finnegan.

What’s next for you, do you have any new projects that we should keep an eye out for?

I’m currently writing and working on a follow-up project, but it’s still very vague, so I’m not committed to anything yet. If you take away the crew fees, Wishes of the Blue Girl was made on just several hundred euros. For the next project, I’m specifically writing with a small budget in mind, so I’m hoping to secure some funding and have something modest to work with.  I’ve learned a lot from making and releasing this film, and whatever comes next will no doubt incorporate everything I’ve learned, which is exciting.

Thanks so much for chatting with us!

Watch Wishes of a Blue Girl on Amazon here. 

About Ryan A. Conaill

Ryan is an Irish filmmaker who started out making videos in his teens, drawn to the early wave of online filmmaking. At 18, his short film became the youngest local entry accepted into the Cork Film Festival, which led him to study Film at SAE Australia on a scholarship, developing his practice across different formats. His early influences came from horror, cult films, and classics, but over time his interest grew to include world cinema and the work of international directors. Music, visual art, and video games also inform his creative approach. Ryan has worked on a mix of projects, from viral digital content in Australia to local stories for Irish TV. He often collaborates with his twin brother, Reece, and works across short films, features, and music videos. He’s currently focused on projects that blend strong visuals with creative storytelling, and enjoys working both independently and with like-minded collaborators.