New Film Reminds the World We May Be Oceans Apart but Never in Spirit

Written, directed and edited by Lorcan Hynes comes a short film depicting how Covid-19 restrictions affect emigrated Irish families and friends during the pandemic.

Using interweaving voices of Mayo people thousands of miles from home, the film offers a poignant reflection of 2020 Ireland. Exploring the realities of life for people during lockdown and for those who have emigrated, it looks at the hardships and tensions experienced by those who leave and those who stay.

The film utilised footage from a previous project, to craft a new narrative, reflecting the Covid-19 pandemic. Ocean's Apart mixes existing and unseen footage with archive material and carefully curated stock. It also features remotely directed scenes shot on smartphones from around the globe. Hynes says: "My instinct was that scenes I had shot previously, could take on a whole new significance if framed as a metaphor for connection. In a time of social separation, the idea seemed quite powerful. To help authentically convey the perspective of facing Coronavirus, I asked friends and family to send voice recordings, many of them, thousands of miles from home.” 

Award-winning composer Denis Kilty created a beautiful score and sound bed for the film. Garry Curran of Outer Limits graded the piece with finishing by The Element post production. John Sullivan, producer at Element post says: “We love working on ambitious creative projects, working remotely with Lorcan, we were able to help the mood and storytelling by adding subtle details.”

Steve Maher of Raygun handled the intricate sound design and the final mix: "It's always exciting when Lorcan comes in with a project because you know it'll be of a high standard. The challenge for this project was to create a heightened dynamic soundscape to emphasise the dramatic visual shifts."