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Inspiring Irish Doc, It’s Not Yet Dark, Released in Irish Cinemas Friday, 13 October

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Inspiring Irish Doc, It’s Not Yet Dark, Released in Irish Cinemas Friday, 13 October

Posted: 10th October 2017

Following on from its US release, It’s Not Yet Dark, the moving documentary based on the life of Irish filmmaker Simon Fitzmaurice will be released in Irish cinemas this Friday, 13 October. Directed by Frankie Fenton, the doc chronicles Simon’s life from the point of his diagnosis with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS) in 2008 at the age of 34.

In 2008, Fitzmaurice was launching a promising international career premiering his short film The Sound of People at the Sundance Film Festival when the aspiring writer and director noticed an unusual pain in his foot. Soon afterwards, Simon was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease and was given 3 years to live, and at the time, his wife Ruth was pregnant with their third child and the diagnosis left them reeling. 

It’s Not Yet Dark covers the full spectrum of Simon’s journey, including behind the scenes footage of him directing My Name is Emily through the use of the last physical attribute he has control over—his eyes.

Narrated by Colin Farrell, the documentary was selected for the prestigious Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it screened to a plethora of rave reviews from the international press. IndieWire praised Fenton’s direction and called the doc “an illuminating experience”, while Screen Daily hailed Colin Farrell’s “shattering, lyrical narration.” The Hollywood Reporter applauded the work of the film’s technical team, ultimately heralding the title as a life-affirming story of hope and resilience.

Following its US release, the New York Times, called it a film that moves from "unrelenting sadness towards inspiration." 

It’s Not Yet Dark was produced by Kathryn Kennedy of Kennedy Films and Lesley McKimm, formerly of Newgrange Pictures with main funding from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) and Wellcome Trust in the UK.

Watch the trailer here.