Film makers Jules Devins and Pete Reid told David Hennessy about their forthcoming 1970s Irish revenge film, In A Small Town.
Two London-based Irish novice film makers are planning to bring their 1970s tale of Irish revenge to the screen next year.
Their plan is to film In A Small Town – which they characterise as an Irish Get Carter (Mike Hodges’ 1971 gangster-revenge film starring Michael Caine) – in London and Sligo.
London-based protagonist Brendan returns to Ireland to bury his estranged son after which he seeks to avenge him.
The film making duo is writer/director Jules Devins, an aviation engineer from Hendon, for whom this is his debut film, and executive producer Pete Reid from Castleblayney in Monaghan.
Pete, a project manager in construction, runs a London Irish site on Facebook and is a former PRO of North London Shamrocks GAA team.
Jules and Pete spoke to The Irish World.
Where does the story come from?
Jules: “I love ’70s films, I love crime films and I love Ireland.
“My mum was from Sligo and everyone in Sligo, when I was growing up, when I was there, was always so nice, so friendly, so honest.
“I just thought, ‘What would happen if you turned this story on its head where you’ve got everyone in this lovely town but there’s a load of criminal activity going on right under their noses?’
“One of the criminals has got a security business and he’s a stand-up member of the community but at night-time this guy goes out knocking people off over gambling debts.
“The inspiration came from taking something good and throwing something in there.”
Pete: “We also thought this hasn’t been done before.”
Jules: “It’s been done for London gangsters, but we start in London and finish in Ireland with a twist…”
Pete: “We can’t think of any movie that’s done this.”
Jules: “In the old days whenever we used to go to Ireland, I’d get on the train at Euston up to Holyhead, sail across and get another train from Dublin to Sligo. That’s the journey everyone took.
“On that journey, you’re a kid and you’ve got your parents but there’s always someone sitting on his own at the back of the carriage, reading a book.
“That’s Brendan going home at the beginning, because we don’t know who that man is.
“He’s a mean man. You don’t want to know who this guy is. That’s why he’s on his own.
“We follow his journey when he leaves London and progresses to Ireland.
“There’re scenes on the beaches, through the town, in little old ‘70s cottages and that finishes with a long chase through the streams, through the forest, across Ben Bulben and finishes there.
“We want to create that ‘70s feel, I’m going to edit it on 1970s film.
“It’s quite difficult to shoot in certain locations because you’ve got modern cars and all those things.”
Pete: “We use an Irish old Irish telephone box (at the Claddagh Ring pub in Hendon) with the original phone inside for one of the scenes outside the train station where Brendan is on the phone.”
Jules: “In Ongar in northeast London called there’s a disused railway station with a platform and an old British Rail carriage whose interior is the same as the Irish carriage because they were built in the same factory.”
Brendan learns his son was murdered over a debt..
Jules: “There’s some brutal murders, but each murder is for a reason.
“It’s not like it’s not like a Sylvester Stallone film where he just guns everybody down.”
Jules: “When I was casting, everyone’s audition tape was brilliant and there were people I hadn’t even heard of before.
“There’s going to be a lot of unheard of talent in this film and we’re going to produce something good.
“We’ve got a good story, we’re not privileged to have access to things like visual effects or big budgets, but we’ve got a lot of creativity.
“Our cameraman is a music video director, he’s agreed to come on board at a very low rate because we’re giving him access to make a feature film.”
Pete: “We already have a plan for a sequel, or prequel. We’re not sure which.”
Jules: “If it does well.
“I call it an Irish version of Get Carter; it’s a great storyline. It could be real. It could happen.
“I just cast Irish actor Peter Broderick as the son. I said to him it’s a small role very pivotal to the plot, but it’s only half a morning’s work.
“He said he liked the script and the role and wanted it.”
Pete: “A lot of up-and-coming actors that haven’t been spotted yet are going to get something good out of this.
“They’re going to be seen on a silver screen so they’re all very keen to be in it and we’re keen to have them because they have great potential.”
Jules: “They’re great actors but need a bit of a break.
“I’m not saying we’re Spielberg but it’s a step on the ladder.
“The film could take off, or it might flop, or anything in the middle, but we’re getting our ducks in a row, that’s for sure.
Jules: “To be honest with you, everyone we’ve got coming through, they’re all such great people. Everyone loves the story and wants to be involved.”
How did you two come together for this?
Pete: “I own the London Irish Facebook group; it’s got 37,000 members.
“I set that group up for is exactly this sort of thing – people getting together with creative ideas.
“Jules and I met through there at a pivotal moment.
“We met through a creative impulse, and we both have something we want to bring to it.
“I’m a senior project manager. I build skyscrapers. I sit in boardroom meetings every day of the week with stakeholders for hundreds of millions of pounds and sometimes billions of pounds, so talking is something I’m pretty good at.
“He’s keeping engines and planes in the sky. I’m keeping buildings up in the air so we’re doing quite important jobs in the background and here we are making a masterpiece, and we hope it is that.
“We see nothing but great things, we believe in ourselves, we’re not cocky, we’re confident, we see good things coming.”
Jules: “It’s being made from a place of passion because of the story.”
Pete: “Fair play to you Jules, you wrote a fantastic piece because the more I read it, the more I love it.”
Jules: “I approached Pete because I wanted to get Irish actors based in London because most of my shooting is going to be around London and asked if I could put it on his Facebook group.”
Peter: “Straight away I was intrigued and I said, ‘Not only that, I’m with you the whole way’ but he’s a great guy and we hit it off.
“We bounce ideas off each other and destiny brought us together because great things are going to come from this.”
Jules: “It took three years to write it. It’s on version 14.
“It’s not my full-time job, I’m an aircraft engineer, that’s what I do to put food on the table but during COVID when planes weren’t flying, I studied film and made a couple of documentaries about aviation.”
Both men say they would love their film to be shown on one of the streaming giants like Netflix or Amazon.
Jules: “But first it’s got to go through film festivals.
“Provided we shoot and edit properly, we should have it ready by Spring next year because we’re shooting from October to November. It takes about three or four months. If the stars align, I’ll push for it to go straight to Cannes.”
Jules: “My mum was from Sligo, that’s why I know so much about it. I’m from Hackney/ Stoke Newington originally but I’ve lived in Hendon now for 20 years.”
Both men say they been touched by the local support offered to them.
Jules: “It’s unbelievable, honestly it really is. There’re people throwing locations at us.”
Pete: “There’s endless possibilities. We’re excited for the future.”
In A Small Town is shooting through October and November.
