Irish short film "Woman In Retrograde" has been officially selected at two Academy Award qualifying festivals, Cork International Film Festival on November 16th and Foyle Film Festival on November 26th.
Irish Actress, Singer & Writer Kellie Blaise not only stars in the film "Woman In Retrograde" playing two characters (Saoirse Reilly and an infamous flapper girl from the 1920's Zelda Fitzgerald) but Kellie also wrote the screenplay and featured song for the film.
After receiving a grant from Screen Ireland and Bow Street to make her film, Kellie began assembling a team and shooting in some beautiful locations in Dublin, one being 18th-century Ardgillan Castle.
Kellie has starred in a variety of TV/Film roles ranging from the Universal film "Death Race" to most recently "The Shrink Next Door" starring opposite Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd. As well as being a face for former American Vice President Al Gore's "Current TV" and singing on "The Voice"
Woman In Retrograde - What’s it about..
In a recent interview with MilliOnAir Magazine, Kellie said: "It's about an Irish woman, Saoirse, in the 1980's who suffers a terrible tragedy and develops Dissociative Identity Disorder as a coping mechanism. Under the supervision of her unorthodox Psychologist Dr.Cahill she assumes the identity of the infamous flapper girl Zelda Fitzgerald."
"Music was integral to portraying what it is like for Saoirse when she steps into the eccentric world of Zelda and just how magical and liberating it can be to live inside her mind. I still can't quite believe it but Brian Byrne (Golden Globe nominee) composed the music and together we worked on the final song. I am a very big fan of his, his compositions are ethereal and haunting at times and I truly believe Brian brought his magic to "Woman In Retrograde" and helped us to create Zelda's world."
"Zelda Zelda Zelda. I have a slight obsession with this woman, after reading so much about her I believe she has never truly been portrayed correctly and still now stands in the shadows of her husband, celebrated American Writer F.Scott Fitzgerald.
In my opinion, she was wildly intelligent, a gifted painter and writer and truly the muse and possibly even partially responsible for some of her husband's greatest works like "The Great Gatsby" but she never received the credit. The tragedy of her life, burning alive alone in an insane asylum just breaks my heart. I guess in some ways I want to resurrect her legacy that still lies buried behind her husband's merits."
Read Kellie's full interview with MilliOnAir here
Woman In Retrograde Synopsis
Following the death of her only son Charlie, former school teacher Saoirse Reilly develops D.I.D (Dissociative Identity Disorder) as a coping mechanism. Unable to deal with his ill wife, Jack Reilly admits her to the local psychologist Dr. Cahill whose clinic is located on the grounds of Saint Jude's Psychiatric Hospital. Dr. Cahill has been treating her to no avail for over twelve months. Dr. Cahill stumbles upon an alternative method of treatment following months of frustration and zero change in Saoirse's catatonic state. Railing against everything he's been taught, he ploughs ahead and is surprised and excited with the results achieved. He has unlocked something within Saoirse, but what has emerged is her new personality, that of 1920's infamous flapper girl Zelda Fitzgerald. Under threat from his superiors and the disappointment of his colleague Lennie, Cahill faces the moral dilemma of whether to return Saoirse to her upsetting reality or allow her to retain the identity of her vibrant alter ego.
— Kellie Blaise
Woman In Retrograde will premier at Cork International Film Festival on November 16th as part of the Screen Ireland: Actor as Creator Programme, tickets and information here.
And then at Foyle Film Festival on November 26th as part of the Light In Motion Competition: Irish Shorts Programme, tickets and information here.
Wishing Kellie the very best of luck and success with this short screening at these Academy Award qualifying festivals!
Slán go fóill.