Three questions to… Audrey O’Reilly, director of Wait

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When an important pigeon race and a rare visit home by his son Martin coincide, Charlie waits anxiously for a safe journey home: Wait by Audrey O’Reilly is the live action winning short film of Irish Film Festa 2016, and here’s our interview with Audrey. Congratulations!

 

Why did you choose pigeon races as a background for the story?

My father and brother were both avid hunters and dog men so I always had a particular interest in the way men often bond through their sports and animals. Then, when I studied in Ballyfermot College, I’d see the pigeon racers from exercising their birds and, in fact, made a documentary in the local pigeon racing club as part of a college exercise. For some reason the world fascinates me. I suspect pigeons will weave their way into a feature film at some stage.

 

How did you work on the set with Owen Roe and Rory Keenan?

The very act of casting Owen and Rory together meant most of my work was already done. Obviously both are exceptional actors, but I’d already seen them play father and son (they’ve worked together since Rory was 12) so I knew they’d have that sense of familiarity I wanted. Then, on set, other than making sure we hit certain moments I knew I wanted in each scene, it was a case of get out of their way and let them do it. (By the way, Owen says it’s the first non-villain he’s played on screen!)

 

Where was the film shot?

The loft scenes and the house were shot out in Bray in Wicklow, while the scenes in the club were shot in Sarsfield Pigeon Racing in Ballyfermot, where I shot a documentary about pigeon racing many few years ago. Actually many of the same guys are actually in both the documentary and film.