Water Under The Bridge writer and director Rehan Ali at the premiere of Water Under The Bridge at the Lighthouse Cinema as part of the International Dublin Film Festival last Saturday with his mentor, director Frank Berry picture Brian McEvoy
The Nationalist Newspaper Article by Aileen Hahessy March 2nd 2022
A short film about a young refugee living in direct provision in a small Irish town shot in Carrick-on-Suir premiered at the International Dublin Film Festival last weekend and will be screened at more film festivals over the next year. Water Under the Bridge was screened at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin last Saturday night and will be broadcast on Virgin Media One this Friday, March 4 at 11pm.
Its writer and director Pakistan born Rehan Ali lived at Carrick-on-Suir’s Bridgewater House Direct Provision Centre for 10 years from the ages of 6 to 16 while its star actor Peter Obidiran is from Carrick-on-Suir. Rehan was delighted with the premiere night audience’s positive response to his film. “The premiere went really, really well and it was sold out,” he told The Nationalist. “I was a little nervous but also excited. I got to see the entire cast and crew again for the first time since making the film. It was a really beautiful experience and surreal to see the film on the big screen.”
Rehan’s script for Water Under the Bridge won the Virgin Media Discovers Short Film Competition last year and the prize was a €30,000 fund to turn it into a film. He now lives with his family in Fermoy in county Cork but returned to Carrick-on-Suir last September to shoot the film at various locations in the town. Rehan, who is studying for a masters in bioinformatics at UCC, says he shot the film completely in Carrick-on-Suir as he considers the town to be his home and it’s “incredibly special” to him.
He outlines that Water Under The Bridge is about a young refugee called Bilal, who has just arrived in a small Irish town and despite his father’s warnings, leaves the confines of the direct provision centre to venture into the town where he meets three local teenagers.
“Their interaction is the catalyst to a self-realisation that could change everything,” he says. Carlow Institute of Technology student Peter Obidiran, who plays the main character Bilal, is a childhood friend of Rehan’s from Carrick-on-Suir. Rehan says he was determined to cast someone who truly reflected the story of the film as Bilal. He was taken aback when Peter auditioned for the role as he is quite a shy person. “But it became clear that he was perfect to portray the character of Bilal. Peter too grew up in Carrick-on-Suir and has his own very personal relationship with Bridgewater House and Direct Provision. “It was beyond special and powerful for me to come back to Carrick for this film and collaborate with Peter on such a personal and poignant story.”
Rehan points out that at the premiere everyone was surprised to learn it was Peter’s first time acting in a film because he delivered such a “beautiful and powerful performance”.
In the audience at the premiere were Linda Fahy of Carrick-on-Suir’s Tudor Artisan Hub and writer and creative writing tutor Margaret O’Brien. They both helped Rehan with writing the script. They were joined by Maria Clancy of Brewery Lane Theatre, who coached Peter Obidiran in acting for the film.
“What a beautiful film, an amazing achievement; an incredible journey for both filmmaker Rehan Ali and emerging actor Peter Obidiran. It was a real honour to witness this moment, we are so super proud of you both,” said Linda Fahy.
Reported by Aileen Hahessy, The Nationalist Newspaper
Water Under The Bridge actors Peter Obidiran (Bilal), Holly Sturton (Niamh), Rhys Mannion (Ryan) pictured in Carrick-on-Suir during filming last year. Picture Luke Brabazon
Water Under the Bridge short has its world television premiere on Virgin Media One,
on Friday, March 4th at 11pm.
Peter Obidiran (Carrick-on-Suir), plays Bilal, leading role in 'Water under the bridge' by Rehan Ali.
