Hillside Drive: Rumours and Sneak Peaks!
Trinity College Dublin is no stranger to the cameras, as it has been the set for films and movies for decades. With Educating Rita (1983), while the movie portrays an English setting, the filming took place in Dublin, incorporating the beauty and history of Trinity as the protagonist pursues an education. Another example is Micheal Collins (1996) reimagining the 1937 Reading Room, known today as the postgraduate library. Moving on to the most notable claim to fame being Normal People (2020), which starred Dublin native Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones. This show kept Trinity College Dublin true to its purpose, showing the complex emotions of a university student navigating self-discovery and love at the same time. Using the Front Square, the Rubrics, the Arts Block, and anywhere else you can possibly imagine a Trinity student contemplating going to class. It’s no surprise that application rates rose to 11 per cent: who wouldn’t want to sit in the same seat as Paul Mescal?
But Trinity hasn’t seen the last of Oscar-nominated director Lenny Abrahamson, as he has been seen directing his latest film Hillside Drive. While not exclusively filmed on campus, the production is set to be in and around the streets of Dublin and even the more rural Dublin scenes of Wicklow. But if there’s anything we know about anytime Lenny Abrahamson walks around Trinity with a camera, is that cinematic magic happens. Single-handedly being one of the most influential directors of the Irish identity in cinema, he has put not only Trinity but Dublin on the map for international audiences.
Not only did Normal People bring about international success to the university; it was also a pillar for tourism attraction to the entire island. From internationally marketing tourism using the famed series as the face of their campaigns and marketing, these productions are essential to the Irish economy, and Hillside Drive is expected to bring no less contribution.
Known for his style of portraying emotional growth of the characters, his films are captivating the stillness of ever-evolving depth of adolescence. Not only does he bring this realism to the characters but brings them to life in the settings of real cities and buildings where these experiences are already lurking in the buildings surrounding or in the filming. A master of channeling the experiences out of the air and onto the screens, Abrahamson is bringing us another coming of age story.
Starring Eve Hewson, an Irish native (known for Bad Sistersand The Knick), alongside Tom Brady, Hillside Drive is centred around the specific and real experiences of Dublin’s Jewish community, which has been a part of Irish history for decades and continues to exist today.
Audiences will get an insight into the more local pockets of Dublin, taking us through Terenure and Rathgar in South Dublin; the neighborhoods are soon to hit the big screen, bringing more attention to an authentic day in Dublin. A good tip: head to the Irish Jewish Museum to get your historical background. One being the ‘accidental’ bombing of the synagogue in Terenure, that one could bet will make it into the storyline of the film. Abrahamson is expanding the cultural tones to the Irish identity, exploring the ‘Irish and…’ experience that so many Irish and Dublin natives live through.
But as Normal People also showed, an Irish representation has to include the stunning scenes of the countryside: Hillside Drive takes us through the rural setting of Wicklow, known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’.
While this movie is still early in the works, and we are getting bits and pieces from the crew that’s roaming in and around Dublin, this film is sure to deliver a true Lenny Abrahamson experience. We’re excited to see how he represents the ‘Irish and…’ identity to life through a city rich in history of immigration and migration alike. Keep your eyes peeled and stay tuned for more updates on a rumoured release date.
Written By: Sophia Arceo, @sophiearceo
Edited By: Kirsten Baldwin, @teddys_bookshelf
