A Belfast filmmaker and playwright says being able to premiere his first feature film in his home city is "a dream come true".
David Walter Hall who grew up in South Belfast, says he is looking forward to the first public screening of his film Passing Through , at the 22nd Belfast Film Festival in November.
The "tense family drama" stars Australian actor and TV personality Mark Little, known to many from his stint as Joe Mangel on the soap Neighbours. It was shot in and around the town of Agde in the South of France in the summer of 2019.
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Mark plays Tom, a recently retired teacher who perhaps rashly has upped sticks with his new partner to buy a house together in France. All is well until Tom’s estranged son turns up unannounced, travelling with his French girlfriend, and old wounds are quickly reopened.
Born in 1983, David attended Methody, where he first got involved in drama and school plays. He studied philosophy at Cambridge University, and during his three years there wrote and directed two single-act plays, later taking them both to the Edinburgh festival.
He went on to write numerous plays, and performed professionally in London and elsewhere before embarking on his first film project.
David said: “Being able to give the film its premiere in Belfast is a dream come true. It’s the culmination of years of hard work, joy and frustration.
"It’s been the greatest adventure of my life so far and the most intense and rewarding of learning experiences. I’m so happy to be back in the city where I grew up, finally able to share what I’ve created with local audiences.
"Finishing this film has been a labour of love. When we wrapped filming, the whole production team were on a high, charged with momentum, but then Covid hit and everyone’s lives changed.
"Post-production was slow, but this film has meant so much to me, and it’s become a huge part of my life for the past five years, and more than most directors I think, I’ve become involved in every aspect of it, from recording the music to the marketing."
The film’s title comes from a song by Dick Blakeslee, popularised by Leonard Cohen, which echoes the subtle religious symbolism found in the story.
Passing Through will premiere at the Strand Arts Centre on Wednesday November 9 at 8pm, for more information see here.
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