Interview - Darragh Byrne (Director - Parked)

CLICK: Firstly, can you tell us what the film is about?
DB: In a simple narrative sense, the film is about Fred Daly, a man who finds himself living in his car. In a broader sense the film looks at a series of three characters who are “Parked” or stuck, in fear of resolving the past or embracing the future.

CLICK: The script comes from first time feature writer Ciaran Creagh. Were you involved in the writing at all?
Yes, I brought the project to Ciaran a few years ago and we developed the script to first draft stage. It was then developed further with RippleWorld Pictures and the Irish Film Board. Ciaran and I worked very closely. I really enjoyed that process which took nearly two years from script to shoot.

CLICK: Where did the idea for the story come from? Was it based on a real person?
The story was informed by some documentary experiences I had as a film-maker. I made a series of films about the NYPD in 2002 and spent a lot of time observing the underbelly of New York. That experience fused with some documentary films I’d made in Ireland encouraged the fiction that is “Parked”.

CLICK: Do you see this level of poverty as being representative of modern Ireland?
The film is not intended to be an issue driven comment on modern Ireland. The idea was to present characters that were not stereotypical and might allow an audience to move into the world of homelessness and be absorbed by a story that would offer some insight into the realities of that world and it’s challenges. First and foremost the intention was to tell a strong story, rather than beat people over the head with a big ‘idea’ about Irish society. Having said that, some of the co-incidences surrounding the story and modern Ireland are intriguing. I always say, “Honour your mistakes as your hidden intention”.

CLICK: The location of the parking lot is iconic in the film – did it take you a long time to scout for and find it?
We did scout nearly every coastal car park on the east coast. In the end, the choice was easy. The car park down at the pigeon house was perfect since it’s location was a perfect mirror to Fred’s character- a forgotten but beautiful wasteland out of step with the pulse of the nearby city of Dublin.

CLICK: What was the casting process like?
Great fun. We cast the film around the Fred Daly character. Once we had Colm Meaney on board, the other parts fell into place quite easily.

CLICK: Colm Meaney doesn’t often play leads, what made you think he was right for Fred?
I saw Colm Meaney in The Damned United and thought this guy is a really good actor. I imaged him with a pair of glasses and thought “That’s Fred!”


CLICK: The relationship between the two men is perhaps the most important thing in the film – did they get a chance to rehearse or workshop any important scenes together?
Yes, we had a week before shooting the film where Colm and Colin had a chance to get to know each other and rehearse. It was obvious that they hit it off immediately.

CLICK: Fred’s Mazda 626 is a significant character in the film – did you purposefully choose the particular model and if so, why?
I wanted the car to be a reliable but ordinary car living in a harsh and difficult world- much like its owner. The Mazda seemed to fit the bill. My father also had one when I was a child.

CLICK: Parked is your first feature film as director, how did you find the process?
I really enjoyed the control of the process. Having made predominantly documentary films I often found myself thinking, “I wish this story could develop this way, or I wish this person would say something else. Having a script was a joy. The most difficult part of making feature films is getting the money.

CLICK: You’ve previously worked on documentaries – do you find drama harder or easier?
I always say that documentary is like a war with reality while drama is a war against reality. They are both formidable opponents.

CLICK: You also shot during some of the worst weather ever seen in Ireland – was the shoot very difficult?
The cold weather was very tough on cast and crew. I was very lucky to have such a strong and committed cast and crew around me who never complained or made the task more difficult to endure.


CLICK: It’s an Irish-Finnish co-production, other than casting Milka Ahlroth were there any other concessions to that?
No. Not at all. In fact, the film was enhanced considerable with the Finnish compliment. Not least, because Milka did such a brilliant job playing Jules. Also, the film was mixed in Helsinki by Kirka Sanio who did a great job.

CLICK: Was it tough to get the budget together? How long was the process from inception to production?
Once the script was fully developed, it took less than a year to raise the budget.

CLICK: You’ve created a lot of buzz at international festivals – what has the response been like in other countries? Is it a film that that travels well in other cultures and languages?
Yes. The world premiere at the Torino film festival was very revealing. It was like a test screening for us in many ways, albeit in Italian. The response was very strong. In particular, the humour of the film played very well and that was very re-assuring. We were then greatly relieved once again when there was a similar responses in other European territories and the US.

CLICK: Is it exciting to see it get a release for the general public?
I’m really excited and slightly terrified about the release here in Ireland, since you never really know how anything will be received until you put it out there! I’d obviously love if an Irish audience took to the film.

CLICK: I hear it’s also been picked up for a US release? When is that happening?
Olive Films in the US are planning a release for next March I believe.

CLICK: How did you come to be a filmmaker yourself? What was your initial training and how did it lead to you directing this film?
I started out making documentary films for television. I’ve been lucky enough to make a living out of that for nearly 20 years now. I always thought you could learn a great deal about drama from documentary but not necessarily the other way around. Documentary will always be part of my expression as a film-maker and has served me well in preparation for drama. In short, I’m self-taught as a Director.

CLICK: Now that your first feature is ready for release in cinemas, what have you got lined up for your next project?
I’m working on a few Feature Projects in development with a view to trying to get a film made at some stage next year.

Read our review of Parked.