A NORTHERN IRISH short film dealing with the difficult relationship between childhood best friends who grow apart during The Troubles has won an Academy Award.
‘The Shore’, directed by Terry George, triumphed in the live action short film category – marking the Belfast scriptwriter’s first success at the third attempt.
George had previously been nominated for his writing work in the celebrated films In The Name of the Father and Hotel Rwanda.
Starring local actors Ciaran Hinds and Conleth Hill, the film deals with the strained adult relationship between childhood best friends Joe and Paddy, who are reunited after 24 years of separation.
In the meantime, one has married the other’s former fiancée – and in a Northern Ireland getting over the scars of the Troubles, it proves more difficult than first thought to try and reunite with past friends.
The win also created a little piece of Oscars history: the victory marks the first time that a parent-and-child team have shared an award. Terry co-produced the film with his daughter Oorlagh.
“Now I don’t have to wait for a wedding to say how brilliant my daughter is,” Terry joked afterwards.
George has also created a number of well-known TV series, including ‘The District’ on CBS, and has directed episodes of the HBO series ‘In Treatment’ and ‘Luck’.
The film can be downloaded directly via iTunes; a taster is here:
YouTube credit: THESHOREshort
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