Title:
A Lady of Paris
Behind the Film:
Water Feature Films
Genre:
Drama
One Line:
A Lady of Paris tells the story of Lily, an elderly lady struggling with dementia who has only her little dog, Paris, to help her get through the day.
Why my film is unique:
My film is about caring. Lily cares for her best friend, Paris, and Paris cares for her best friend, Lily. Through that, we explore themes such as friendship and loneliness, memory and dementia, happiness and sadness, age and youth. With just Lily and Paris, my film isn’t so much a two-hander as it is one hand and one paw working together in harmony.
Inspiration:
My father passed away very suddenly several years ago. It happened just before Christmas, and my brothers and their families came in from around the world for the funeral. They all stayed on for Christmas, which meant that it turned into a family reunion, with, sadly, one person missing. But it was only when Christmas was over, when they had all gone home, and I saw my mother in the front window of her house taking down the decorations from her Christmas tree, that it finally hit me. My father was gone, and she was alone.
Process:
We faced two enormous challenges. The first was casting. We needed a special dog that could convey emotion and show what she was thinking. We spent eight months auditioning different dogs. They were all beautiful little creatures and so well trained, but none of them were interested in being a movie star!
Difficult as casting Paris was, the bigger challenge was finding the right house. That took eleven months. The story is set in 1980s Dublin, and while there are many such houses in Dublin, once you get inside, they’ve all been modernised. But the house we finally found proved to be like a time capsule. The time capsule element was paramount because the house really serves as a third character in the story.
Behind-the-scenes moments:
It took the crew a bit of time to get used to working with a dog. Bonnie is so sociable that if you ever established eye contact with her, she always came over to play. So, everyone on the
crew was under strict instructions not to look at our star! Which was a bit difficult because the crew found her presence to be very calming. I highly recommend having a small pet on set to
keep everyone in a good mood!
What It Means to Be a Finalist:
Being selected as a finalist at the Worcester Film Festival is a terrific honour. I am really looking forward to sharing our unique story with Worcester’s audience. Our Worcester screening brings great validation to our work, and I am thrilled to share Paris with such dedicated fans of cinema.
Where to Watch / Follow:
Follow me on Instagram @water_feature_films2024 for updates. Interviews with cast and crew and behind‑the‑scenes footage are available on YouTube @WaterFeatureFilms.
For further details, please contact: waterfeaturefilms@gmail.com