Originating as a Feature Film School Project that has gone from script to screen in 66 days, ‘Dive’ is set against the backdrop of modern-day Ireland, offering an unflinching but balanced look at one of the most fiercely debated issues in public discourse today – The 8th Amendment.
Through the eyes of characters caught in the crossfire of Ireland’s current set of laws, the film explores the weight of the decisions we make and the effects involved when those decisions are attempted to be made for us through law.
The project is produced by Karen Twomey, with Matthew Toman and Kevin Treacy both Executive Producers. The film is written and directed by Daniel F Holmes (‘Good Vibrations’) with Aidan Gault (‘Unjust’) as Director of Photography.
Director Daniel Holmes wrote the script in the lead up to the referendum to repeal the 8th, in an effort to tell the story of an issue that affects Irish women every day. ‘Dive’ is a balanced and frank look at what it means to be a woman in Ireland today.
Starring Vanessa Schaefer, Aidan O’Sullivan, Tara Flynn, and Carol O’Reilly, the film tells the story of Tara, an 18-year-old swimmer with dreams of one day going to the Olympics. Having sacrificed anything resembling a normal teenage life in pursuit of her goal, her dreams are soon thrown into jeopardy when she discovers that she’s pregnant on the brink of the biggest competition of her career. Afraid of the stigma associated with her situation, Tara sets out to solve her dilemma with little help and no one but her best friend to turn to. When she crosses paths with James - a down-and-out mechanic with secrets of his own - they develop an unlikely bond with implications that reach far wider than either of them could have ever anticipated.
‘Dive’ goes on general release in Irish cinemas this Friday, May 18th.