The Parting

Nine-year-old Abbey is looking for something she can make right. As her mother’s depression deepens and her father struggles to cope, she turns to the meticulous ritual of parting her hair and making pigtails: a small act of control in a world that no longer feels secure.

When a family getaway offers no easy reprieve, Abbey’s resilience comes into focus. The Parting follows a child learning to meet uncertainty with bravery, and finding a quiet moment of care with her younger brother, Dougie.

Written by Libby McCormack, the film was made in County Clare with support from the National Talent Academies Short Film Fund.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Even though I’ve been a documentary filmmaker for many years, I’ve always had a secret wish to direct narrative film and television. It’s a dream that I buried a long time ago. You see, my dad was the one who introduced me to movies. We’d go to the cinema every week, and when VHS tapes came out, we’d spend hours browsing Blockbuster and Video City, picking out three movies to take home for the weekend. I loved movies because of him and wanted to become a filmmaker. But my dad also told me that I couldn’t become a filmmaker because I was a woman and a minority, and I didn’t know anyone in that world.

That sentence really stuck with me, and I spent my whole life trying to prove myself. I joined Women in Film and Television chapters in the US, and I have even served on the board of Women in Film and Television Ireland. I took my background and heritage and utilized it to make documentaries about Filipinos and other minority groups who fought for their civil and labour rights in America. And when my husband and I started running Irish film festivals in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, I met and befriended many people in the Irish film and television industry. So, when we moved to Ireland six years ago, I already had a strong network of people who worked in this area. I flipped the script on those negatives that my father said I had against me – I champion gender equity, I celebrate my Filipino-ness with the documentaries I make, and I have many friends and connections in the screen industries.

But the light bulb moment for me came when, thanks to the NTA, I got the chance to be a shadow director on the TV show Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale. It was not just a great experience, it was life changing. It made me realise that I’ve been avoiding directing fictional films for a long time. And I really want to.

I’m so proud of this short film, The Parting, that we created. Despite several challenges, I was lucky to have experienced artists and craftspeople believe in the project and in my vision for it. I’m grateful for all the learnings and for the National Talent Academies for not just funding the short, but for creating the infrastructure to mentor, train and guide me along the way.

– Marissa Aroy