Loach's Wind That Shakes the Barley Selected for Cannes
Ken Loach's Irish Film Board-backed film, the Wind That Shakes the Barley, has been selected for International Competition at Cannes. Starring Cillian Murphy (Breakfast on Pluto) Liam Cunningham (A Love Divided), Orla Fitzgerald and newcomer Padraic Delaney in the leading roles it was produced by Rebecca O’Brien for Sixteen Films and executive produced by Andrew Lowe for Element Films.
Scripted by Paul Laverty, The Wind That Shakes the Barley begins in 1919 and tells the story of two brothers who fought together during the Irish war of Independence. They then find themselves pitted against each other as civil war ensues and betrayal becomes inevitable.
The film shot on location in Cork and Kerry for seven weeks and location highlights include Bandon Town, Mallow, Buttevant, Coolea and Killarney.
“Ken Loach and the production team behind this film must be congratulated on a tremendous achievement. The Wind That Shakes the Barley deals with an important and difficult period in Irish history from a strictly human point of view. This is the first Irish film selected for competition in Cannes since John Boorman’s The General and we are delighted that Ireland will once again be represented at the world’s most prestigious festival” said Simon Perry, Chief Executive, Irish Film Board.
John Boorman’s film The General was in competition in Cannes in 1998, when it won the award for Best Director.
Irish producer, Andrew Lowe of Element Films said “We are delighted that The Wind That Shakes the Barley has been selected for what amounts to the most prestigious award in the world of film. This is a great credit to Ken, Paul, Rebecca and all the cast and crew, Irish and British, who worked so hard to make this film on a very tight budget. All the team at Element Films, together with Redmond Morris, are very proud of our involvement in this film and look forward to its general release in June when the Irish public will have the opportunity to judge the film for themselves.”
The Wind That Sakes the Barley is an Irish-UK-Italian-German-Spanish co-production which was produced with a budget of approximately €6.5 million and had an Irish spend of almost €4 million. The film was produced with financing from the Irish Film Board, the UK Film Council and TV3, amongst others, and is being distributed by Pathé in Ireland and the UK.
The news of Loach's film's success follows hot on the heels of the Irish Film Board backed short film Six Shooter, directed by Martin McDonagh, which won the Academy Award for Best Short Film at last month's Oscar ceremony..