‘The Sea’, adapted by John Banville from his 2005 Booker prize winning novel, will receive its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival on 23rd June and be competition for the Michael Powell Award.
The film is directed by Stephen Brown, making his feature debut, and produced by Luc Roeg (‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’) and Michael Robinson of Independent and David Collins (‘Once’) of Dublin-based Samson Films.
Principal photography took place in Wexford – at locations including Ballymoney, Courtown, Ballygarrett and Rosslare – which is also the setting for the novel, with post production carried out at Dublin’s Windmill Lane.
Ciarán Hinds, recently seen in ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, leads an impressive cast which also includes Natascha McElhone (‘Californication’, ‘The Truman Show’); Charlotte Rampling (‘The Duchess’); Rufus Sewell (‘The Illusionist’); Sinead Cusack (‘Eastern Promises’, ‘V for Vendetta’) and Boyzone star Ronan Keating’s daughter Missy Keating.
Hinds plays widower Max Morden, an art historian, who - following his wife’s death - returns to the sea where he spent his childhood summers long ago and met a family named the Graces with whom he first experienced love and death.
Irish cast and crew on the production include director of photography John Conroy (‘Parked’); production designer Derek Wallace (‘Good Vibrations’); line producer Brian Willis (‘The Boy In The Bubble’) and editor Stephen O’Connell (‘Borstal Boy’).
An Independent/Samson Films production, ‘The Sea’ was made in association with Rooks Nest Entertainment, Quicksilver Films, Windmill Lane Pictures and RTÉ with the support of the BAI and Irish Film Board.
Further information on booking tickets for ‘The Sea’ at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival can be found here.
