Baile is the Irish word for ‘home’; and it’s in a 1950s, rural Irish home that we find Emer at odds with her husband Donal. After their young daughter is badly beaten and hospitalised by a teacher, Emer is desperate to speak out and challenge the school. But Donal tells her she’s not to do anything, telling her that this kind of discipline is normal. Dissatisfied, Emer marches down to the school.
Can she convince Donal to support her after defying him?
This is a film about challenging authority in a patriarchal system that turns a blind eye to systemic abuse.
Baile is a period piece but will abandon the twee and whimsical for a tonal gravitas. Taking cues from the works of Bergman and Malick, the brutality and discomfort of the events the film considers will be allowed to come to the fore. This is a bleak subject that gets to the heart of injustice and inequalities. It would be a disservice to cover this with rose-tinted nostalgia.
At its core, this is a story of a woman trying to prove her point-of-view to her husband, and a man who must learn to respect his wife’s values on a level with his own. In its themes, the film is entirely contemporary and relevant to issues we face today.
The film is based on true events from within Writer/Director Kieran Wall’s own family. Spending most of his childhood summers in Ireland, this part of his heritage has always been important to him. In making the film, we hope to explore this heritage and how stories like this affect those closest to us and in turn shape ourselves. We hope that other individuals and families will find something to relate to in our film and a sense of shared experience.
Every family has a secret that's kept locked away behind closed doors. We've all heard these stories before, and now we want to see them on the screen.
We realise that not everyone can offer monetary support to our project. Every like, comment, follow and share on social media or by word of mouth is essential to ensuring the film’s success and we are delighted to have your support in whatever form. By spreading the word, you will be helping us find a wider audience and give this story the platform we believe it deserves.
You can find us on Facebook and Instagram, where you can stay up to date on the development of the production and get an insider’s look behind-the-scenes.
If you are able to donate, you’ll be instrumental in bringing this film to life. The more we can raise, the stronger the film will be, allowing us to tell this story properly. Funds will be used to build a period accurate set and source authentic costumes as well as ensure access to talented professional cast. If we reach our goal, we will be able to achieve a high production value that will do the story justice. We are so grateful for anything you can give.
We are delighted to be back doing what we love during these unprecedented and challenging times. This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our incredible resilience, innovation and creativity.
In order to be at our most effective with our fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic, we will be following, to the letter, the Covid Safe Filmmaking (SDF) protocols instilled by our university and film production course.
Other unique techniques we will be using during principal photography are holding zones, housing pods with coloured associated wristbands and sequential filmmaking.
No film is possible without the hard work and dedication from the entire crew, so here's ours:
“This is a story that’s close to my heart and presents an exciting opportunity to explore my family history and heritage. I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to make this film.”
Since making his first amateur short film at the age of 10, Kieran has spent the last decade honing his skills as a filmmaker - this film is the culmination of everything he has learnt so far. After directing a number of university productions, Kieran has developed an ability to handle emotion on film in a mature way, working with actors and crew to keep this central to his storytelling.
Welcome to our crew Crowdfunder section. I’m Tom, the Producer of the project.
I was drawn to Baile from very early on in the development process. Having had numerous experiences in County Donegal, Ireland; I harboured a love for Éire as a whole. I was familiar with the traditional rural community life, the intrinsic association with faith and the profound, deep-rooted love for family.
Having Produced throughout my time here at AUB, I believe I am experienced enough to assist in bringing the mature themes and complex concepts in the narrative to life. This is also my second time collaborating with Kieran, and it is an honour to be Producing such an exceptional script and working with a truly talented Director.
Walt Disney once purported that “We don’t make movies to make more money. We make money to make more movies” – so please, help us make money to make this movie.
Hi! We are Charlie & Faye, the Production Designers for this project, and we have been taking full advantage of the end of social life as we know it to design, design, design this film. We have promised you all a 1950’s Period Drama defined by its realism. To do this we need to construct an authentic and detailed Irish farmhouse interior that will transport you back in time (and that’s just the beginning) . It’s going to be tough, but we love a challenge! We’ve been working so closely together it’s hard to know where Charlie ends, and Faye begins.
With Irish Catholic heritage on one side, and a mixed religion education with, ironically, a devil-may-care attitude on the other; we have a strong personal attachment to the script. That being said, who needs a personal attachment when we’re working with a gorgeous story, and Production Design opportunities that will push our creative abilities to their limits. We can’t wait to show all of you what we have planned!
Hello, I’m Kimberley Holmes and I'm the DP for Baile. I’ve been around cameras for over 6 years and framing and composition comes naturally to me. Since being at university I've focused on my lighting skills which I've greatly improved upon, and I'm hoping for my graduation film to reflect my ability in both lighting and camera departments.
This story has gone through intensive in-depth research across all departments, and my job is to push the narrative into film and communicate this through movement, lighting, optics, framing and composition in order to create a cinematic style including elements of the director’s vision.
I’m excited about working on this film because I've wanted to shoot a period drama since joining university, but not had the opportunity to do so until now. All donations will be greatly appreciated, and I can promise a film that will come from the heart as we all strive through the production process.
I’ve always loved how cameras allow us to capture moments throughout our lives, which are instantly created into timeless memories. When I began to love films as a child, I was fascinated with how film can transport you to a world that was previously unimaginable, just by watching. Create your own memories of this experience, through the eyes of storytelling. University has helped me understand every component needed for success. Everything I’ve learnt on previous shoots is fuel for my determination, to help create a graduation film that perhaps will be remembered as a great example of student collaboration during a pandemic.
Since I first read the script of Baile it was obvious how meaningful and captivating it is. Now it’s our job to transform the script to the big screen. With the creative minds we have on board, this film is gonna be a goodun.
Hi, I’m Tsvetan and I’m the Sound Recordist and Sound Designer for Baile. I occupy myself with Editing and Sound and my passion for these two has brought me to work on this film that tells a story that needs to be told. I am confident, friendly and a great team worker. At the same time, I am a hardworking, reliable, and punctual individual who strives to be better than I was yesterday.
Hi, my name is Nichelle and I am happy to be part of the team for Baile. This story is an important one to tell and the themes explored will be interesting. Editing this film will come with many challenges but I am ready to take on the challenge to achieve the right mood and tone so that the audience is fully immersed in the film.
Throughout my 4 years spent at AUB Film School I developed a passion for 1st Assistant Directing and it’s my ambition to develop my role into a career. Previously working on multiple short documentaries, I have become fond of real stories and working on Baile is a great example of a film that illustrates a true story. It is a touching and captivating story that must be told.
With help from your generous donations, matched with a skilled, passionate & motivated team, I believe that we can make an incredible fiction film.
Hi! I’m Annie, and I am the Costume Designer for Baile. I am a third-year costume and performance design student at AUB focusing on designing costume for screen. I have designed multiple period projects in the past and I am very excited to be working as part of the creative team on Baile. My role is to analyse the personalities and lifestyles of the characters and bring them to life through the clothes that they would wear.
Hello, my name is Tigerlily and I am one of the Head Makeup Artists for Baile. I’m currently in my final year of study at AUB and I hope to pursue a career in makeup and prosthetics for film and tv. The reasons for wanting to work on Baile was mainly because I loved the storyline, set in the 1950’s I knew this period piece would be something great because the team had such a strong vision and that really came across in our meetings!
I know this film will be a challenge, particularly with the Covid restrictions, but I believe the experience that I will gain from working with such a brilliant crew on this film will give me more confidence and prepare me for a future in the film industry, as well as being an extremely fun and exciting opportunity!
My name is Ffion Megan, I’m currently studying at The Arts University Bournemouth for my BA Hons in Media Makeup and I’ve been studying makeup for around 5 years now. I’m incredibly excited to be working on Balie. Period hair and makeup are my favourite when it comes to film and tv makeup, so gives myself and Tigerlily a lot to work on. I’m originally from South Wales, but with Irish routes in my family, the story really speaks to me, which is why I really got excited about it once I had heard the story.
I'm a passionate filmmaker with experience working on several film sets, including three separate periods at Pinewood Studios. Currently studying Film Production at Arts University Bournemouth, and winner of the Uxbridge College film of the year award. Working on Baile presents an opportunity to collaborate with some brilliant filmmakers as well as work with industry-standard equipment.
Hey I'm Ben, and I'm a freelance composer who has worked on multiple short-films, writing complex orchestral music to subtle and emotive drama scores. Baile will be the third collaboration between myself and Kieran. I'm so excited for the opportunity to work with new Celtic soundscapes and research Irish folk music in preparation for this film.