Director: 'I want all my films in West Cork... there’s a vibe'

After two successful Cork-shot horror films, Bantry film-maker Damian McCarthy is back with his latest feature, Hokum.

Shot in West Cork, the film stars Severance actor Adam Scott as an American writer who travels to Ireland on a personal pilgrimage, only to find himself at the centre of a mysterious disappearance in a haunted hotel.

McCarthy says the idea for the story came to him during post-production on his last film, Oddity, while he was staying in a hotel.

“I spent a lot of time in a hotel room during post-production. I was writing the script [for Hokum], and I thought, ‘What’s the manager’s story? What’s going on with the owner or the bellboy?’

“I thought, who would all those characters be as our protagonist landed at the hotel?”

Scott’s character is not particularly likable, but as the film unfolds, the audience learns why he is so prickly.

It is not an easy role to play, but Scott injects humanity with ease -so, was McCarthy, a long-time fan of Scott, always intending to cast him?

He says no, but he was very glad he agreed to sign on.

“I would never write with an actor in mind because you would be disappointed if you didn’t get them,” he says.

“The character isn’t likeable, but he had to be engaging for an audience. It had to be somebody who could play unlikable without being detestable.

“Comedians can usually get away with saying things that have an edge. I’d always been a fan of Adam. You get lucky sometimes with film-making. He had seen my previous film, Oddity, and was curious about what I was doing next.

“The script (for Hokum) found its way to him, and he really liked it; he liked the challenge.”

McCarthy explains why the character is tricky for an actor to portray.

“In the first act, he is almost pushing the audience away, and the audience looks forward to this guy getting his comeuppance.

“The second act is about learning why he is the way he is, and the audience begins engaging with him.

“For an actor, it’s interesting to approach a character who can be a little cruel, but someone the audience begins to understand.”

Did having a Hollywood actor on board change the stakes for McCarthy, or was it simply another day on set?

“It is a big thing. Even the Irish cast, like David Wilmot and Peter Coonan - people that I’d be a big fan of and always wanted to work with... but you put it aside and work with them.

“The only thing was that we were filming when season two of Severance came out. I was dying to see it, but I couldn’t. It would have been too odd to watch it every night and work with Adam the next day. He found that quite funny.”

Hokum was filmed throughout West Cork and at Skibbereen’s West Cork Studios, and McCarthy says it was a brilliant opportunity to film at the studio.

“Édaín O’Donnell and Stephen Park, the founders of the studios, both have years of experience in filmmaking. I had worked with them on Oddity, but this was my first time working in West Cork Studios.

“For my previous films, I built small sets at Bantry House because I’m friends with the family, and they were very supportive. This time, because the set was such a large build, we needed a proper space - and that’s exactly what West Cork Studios is designed for.”

McCarthy says filming was a great experience for all involved and he hopes to continue working in West Cork.

“There’s a good vibe; when the cast or crew had time off, they’d go off and explore West Cork, come back from whatever little adventure they’d been on, and come back relaxed. I hope to make all of my films there, for as long as I can.”

Most film-makers tend to look outside Ireland when they have success, but McCarthy’s love for Cork is strong, and he says Hokum was an opportunity to showcase what the county has to offer, ensuring that he can keep working at home.

“I loved growing up in Cork, and I love living here, and I want to stay here and keep doing it.

“ Hokum was a big test. Could I get an international star to come all the way down to the south-west, to see us in action, make use of the locations, and experience the welcome and hospitality that Cork offers?

“The same with the producers, they came from the UAE, New York, and Hollywood, and they loved it.

“The whole Cork experience did what I wanted it to do. It sent everybody back overseas, going, ‘Cork is a really nice place, it has great people, and the crews here are amazing - let’s do more of that.’”

McCarthy is a film-maker on a mission, already looking ahead.

“I know the next two films that I want to make, and they’ll hopefully get bigger and bigger, because every film I’ve made has taken a little bit of a jump.

“So that would be the plan: get everybody back together and keep doing it in Cork.”

As for Hokum, he is enjoying that his work appeals to diehard horror film fans and cinemagoers who tend to be wary of scary films.

“The nicest thing about this, and Oddity, is when people who wouldn’t be the biggest horror fans enjoy it. They tell me that they enjoyed that there were more than just scares, that the character’s journey was interesting, and that they enjoyed the twists and turns.

“On the other hand, because I’m such a big horror fan, a jaded horror fan will say to me that this caught them off guard and scared them, and that feels great too.”

Hokum opens in cinemas on May 1, Cert: 15a. See a review on Page 18.