New Irish feature film The Guarantee, which recreates the drama surrounding the Irish banking crisis in 2008 has begun shooting in Dublin this week. The film’s casting has already raised some eyebrows with Irish actors taking on roles of some of the most talked-about political and financial figures in modern Irish history. The film will tell the story of the bank guarantee given by the Irish government in 2008 to secure the domestic banking system, beginning the story four years before and charting the origin of that pivotal decision.
Fresh from his IFTA win earlier in the year, Peter Coonan (Love/Hate) will play former Anglo Irish Bank Chief Executive David Drumm. He’s joined by David Murray (Amber) who co-stars as Brian Lenihan while the roles of Kate Walsh, Sean Fitzpatrick and Brian Cowen are being played by Orla Fitzgerald (The Wind That Shakes The Barley), Morgan Jones (Breakfast on Pluto), and Gary Lydon (Calvary) respectively. The Guarantee is directed by Ian Power and written by Colin Murphy, based on his stage play of the same name.
Speaking about the production, director Ian Power said “The Guarantee is a story which covers the entire gamut of the human experience. That there is a hunger in Irish people to see a clear, unbiased version of this story I am in no doubt. I think they are owed that, and I think they will be surprised by the entertainment value of it - it’s a real roller coaster ride. In the past months I’ve watched every member of our wonderful cast and crew come on board with a sense that this job is different, that we are doing something important and special. It’s completely inspiring."
The film is produced by John Kelleher Media in association with TV3, the Irish Film Board and the BAI. Wildcard Distribution will bring the feature to Irish cinemas this autumn with a broadcast on TV3 scheduled for November.
