*Filming taking place in Kilrush. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Production of a German film in Kilkee has been hailed as having an “unbelievable” impact.
Odeon Fiction has completed shooting ‘Planlos in Ireland’ which translates as ‘Clueless in Ireland’. Production staff were based at the Kilkee Bay Hotel for the duration of the shoot.
Directed by Florian Gärtner in West Clare, the comedy was commissioned by ARD subsidiary Degeto. Beatrice Meier wrote the screenplay based on an idea by Melanie Bukowski and Bianca Ritz.
A ninety minute film in length, it is produced by Odeon Fiction alongside Treehouse Media with Geraldine Voss and Edwina Forkin serving as producers.
Andrea Sawatzki and Götz Schubert play the leading roles of two language students in an intensive English course in Ireland. Thorsten Merten, Claire O’Donovan, Sarah Hannemann, Ella Lee, Patrick Güldenberg and Axel Werner also star in other roles.
Connie is the main character in the movie. An executive secretary in Germany for many years, when she discovers that fluency in written and spoken English has suddenly become a key requirement at her office, she realises she needs a plan. To save her job, Connie leaves her incredulous husband, Dirk, and her pregnant daughter, Anja, at home and flies to Ireland to take an intensive language course. But she isn’t quite prepared for her new quirky landlady and teacher.
Praise was extended to Clare’s Arts Office for facilitating filming of the German production which followed in the footsteps of ‘Calm with Horses’ in shooting a production in Kilkee, parts of the film were also recorded in Kilrush.
Speaking at the September meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) described the impact of the film as “unbelievable”. He predicted that the value of the production to Kilkee and West Clare would be in the region of €800,000.
Tax incentives from the Irish Government supported the production while leading officials within Clare County Council previously expressed confidence that it would boost more German visitors to the county in the coming years.
