Birthday  ends the ‘Day Trilogy’ of films

Somewhere in the Wild West – or is it a Dublin suburb? – a family gather, dressed in their best cowboy/girl gear, for a surprise party. Eldest sister Margo is up to ninety, husband John-Wayne is no help and seems distracted, other sister Eliza is upset, and why won’t little sister Sadie say who the father of her unborn baby is? Seen from the point of view of the yet-to-be-born baby, Birthday is a funny, gritty and spiritually uplifting story.

This was Pom Boyd’s final short film with RADE. The film was shot over five days in The Lodge, Coolmine Therapeutic Community, with tents and benches borrowed from the Merchants Quay Scouts. Coolmine residences, staff and especially the kitchen took wonderful care of us all week.

Birthday was launched by President Michael D. Higgins on Tuesday 11th October in the Irish Film Institute Cinema, Temple Bar.