Hold The Passion tells of the artistic journey of actress and teacher Deirdre O'Connell, who set up the Focus Theatre in 1963 and introduced a whole generation of Irish actors, including Gabriel Byrne, Tom Hickey, Johnny Murphy and Olwen Fouere, to the teachings of Stanislavski and the Actors Studio. The film provides a unique insight into the mind and work of a remarkable Irish woman whose contribution to the cultural life of this country has yet to be fully recognised and acknowledged.