This Christmas: Short film centres on childhood homelessness
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A Clondalkin filmmaker is gearing up for the release of his new short film about childhood homelessness, called ‘This Christmas’, at the end of the month.
Anthony O’Reilly Jr started making comedy videos on YouTube in 2015, before branching out into filmmaking and developing his own production team, called The Dream Factory Productions.
O’Reilly Jr with Devlin O’Brien and Gar Daly
His newest film, ‘This Christmas’, centres on the story of a child, played by Devlin O’Brien, who is experiencing homelessness.
Anthony told The Echo: “The opening scene of the film shows a warm, cosy and festive house, where the main character is snuggled up on the couch watching a Christmas movie.
“The boy’s mother, played by Ingrid Ni Igoe, keeps a careful eye on her son as she does some housework.
“The boy’s father, played by Todd M Herbert, sadly shows an Eviction Notice to his wife, which meant that the family could no longer live in their house together.
“A social worker comes to their house to take the young boy into foster care. However, the young boy does not make it into foster care. He escapes from the car and runs away, having nowhere to go.
“Sadly, the young boy grows up to be an older man played by Gar Daly, who is homeless on the streets of Dublin city.
“‘This Christmas’ portrays a message to the audience about the importance of family, particularly during the festive season, where family is at the heart of the home.”
Anthony O’Reilly Jr
The inspiration for ‘This Christmas’ came from the Doris Day song ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’, according to Anthony, and the short was filmed in Palmerstown and the city centre in December 2019 across one day.
He added: “I was working with my production crew, known as The Dream Factory Productions.
“I really could not have made this film without them, and I would like to thank them individually: producer Nicola Molloy, cinematographer Craig Johnston, assistant director James Byrne, and make-up artist Sarah Fox.”
The short film will be released on January 29 on The Dream Factory Productions’ YouTube channel at 6pm, and Anthony promises that viewers will experience “a rollercoaster of emotion” when they watch it.
He said: “There is no dialogue in the film, and I was blown away by how the cast made the story come to life.
“There is one scene in particular where the main character, played by Devlin O’Brien, had to cry on cue, and I was left speechless when I witnessed the talent that young boy has.
“He was so professional during the shoot, and delivered everything I had asked from him. It was a pleasure to work with him!
“I would also like to thank Caela Murphy for her original score, as the instrumental music flows in tandem with the plot of the film.”
For further information, check out The Dream Factory Productions on YouTube.
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