The Oscar-nominated Banshees of Inisherin actor has signed on as an executive producer for the film, directed by TJ O’Grady-Peyton and produced by Colmán Mac Cionnaith.
Room Taken won Best Short Film at the 2024 Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) and the Gold Medal for Best Film at the Manhattan Short Film Festival, thereby qualifying it for consideration at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Room Taken follows Isaac, newly arrived in Ireland and looking for a place to stay, who forms an unique bond with Victoria, an elderly blind woman.
“Room Taken is such a gentle cry to the power of human connection,” Farrell said.
“It treats loneliness and grief and the struggle of the immigrant with such a gentle hand, bringing its character and narrative threads together beautifully.
“The film wears its compassion – along with its heart – on its sleeve, with tender performances and a story that stayed with me long after viewing.
“For these reasons I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of helping Room Taken find as wide an audience as possible,” he added.
TJ O’Grady-Peyton, director of Room Taken
Filmmaker TJ O’Grady-Peyton’s work has been recognised at the Young Director Awards in Cannes and the Galway Film Fleadh. His films have been showcased at festivals like Tribeca, Clermont Ferrand, and BFI London.
Room Taken tells the story of Isaac, who is part of the rapidly growing homeless population in Dublin. One day, while charging his phone in a coffee shop, he meets Victoria, an elderly blind woman.
After forgetting her bag in the café, Isaac returns it to her. Once inside her home and in desperate need of a place to stay, he sneaks upstairs and begins to live there, unbeknownst to Victoria.
“He starts fixing things in the house, she doesn’t realise he’s sleeping there. Then an unusual friendship starts to build between the two,” TJ previously told the Irish Independent.
“The film was written before a lot of asylum seekers were arriving in Ireland and sleeping rough. Those real stories happened more and more when we started production.
“We are privileged to have a stellar cast, including Tony Award-winning Bríd Brennan in the role of the elderly blind woman and the incredibly talented Gabriel Adewusi portraying the homeless man.
“Their performances play a crucial role in conveying the themes of the film and bringing authenticity to the characters.
“In Ireland and many other countries, anti-immigrant sentiments are on the rise. Room Taken aims to ignite conversations and nurture empathy, all through a creative and original lens.
“I volunteered for the Simon Community for a year, so I understood that world. I’m not an expert, but I met some characters in one of their social clubs.
“Dublin felt like an authentic place for this film to occur. Dublin is a big city, so it’s probably where the character would try to go. It felt like a natural fit for the story and character,” he added.
