The Moment Before – grappling with overwhelming guilt and despair

“THE Moment Before is a deeply moving story about a young man grappling with overwhelming guilt and despair,” explains Citywest-based filmmaker Neha Dubey.

Neha is preparing to share her short film ‘The Moment Before’ with the world, co-directed by Declan Gill and herself.

To get funding, a GoFundMe was launched to raise some support from the community; the rest was “generously supported” by co-producer Kenneth Barry, also from Limerick.

The crew also had to do location scouting, with most scenes being filmed in or around Citywest and Rathcoole.

For casting, they held 30 auditions for the lead role of Liam before coming across Limerick actor Cathal O’Doherty, who brought “incredible depth” to the role.

Phillip Wright, also from Limerick, was cast in the other lead role, as he “perfectly matched” the character Neha had envisioned.

She goes on to comment that as production progressed, she was “lucky” to be joined by a team of “incredibly talented and passionate individuals”; Valeria Melnyk came on board as editor, Patrick Corr from Dun Laoghaire handled colour grading, and Reda Minchera, their “gifted” makeup artist, helped to bring the characters to life visually.

Neha has described creating this film as a “transformative experience” that has only deepened her passion for storytelling, commenting that while at times she struggled with the emotional weight of the project, in the end, the struggles became a part of the story.

“They taught me to adapt, trust my instincts, and appreciate every small win along the way.”

Regarding the future, she already has a few ideas in development, including some new short films and possibly even a feature film.

She is also looking forward to collaborating with new and returning talent, building on the creative community she and Declan have started with this film.

As of writing, her focus is on taking ‘The Moment Before’ to festivals, connecting with audiences, and learning from their feedback.

She would like to thank God for giving her the strength and courage to make this film, her husband Prateek Maheshwari for standing by her side and making her dream his own, and Bow Street Academy for giving her the idea to make her own film.

The film has already got its first official selection from the prestigious international film festival, NITIIN International Film Festival Malaysia, winning for ‘Best Script’.

Congratulations to all involved with the film on this achievement.