“We couldn’t believe no-one had made a film about the Holylands before,” confesses Paddy Duffy, the creator of The UnHolylands.
“The inspiration very much came from my own love of coming-of-age comedy films,” he explains.
“I’d grown up watching the likes of Superbad, American Pie and The Inbetweeners so from the day I got into film-making I’ve always wanted to take a stab at that kind of genre but for the life of me I couldn’t think of the right idea.
“But around that time, I was living in the depths of the Holylands and I was at a house party looking around and just thought it was the perfect spot and location.”
The film follows dynamic duo Michael (Ciaran McCourt) and Scott (Peter Jeffries) – who are stepbrothers – something Peter, who’s Scottish, is keen to point out early on.
“People from Belfast, much like people from Scotland, are very particular about the accent,” Peter laughs.
“So, I’m not doing an accent, we’re stepbrothers – and I’m Scottish - just so people aren’t surprised.”
When we meet the pair, they are in the process of coming to terms with graduating from university and leaving their “wild life” in the Holylands behind.
“We’re two sides of the same coin but my side’s just a little bit dirtier and worse worn,” Peter describes.
“They’ve always been really close and have gone on this journey of being in university together.
“In the opening sequence Ciaran’s character mentions that my character purposefully failed his exams two years in a row so that they could graduate together so that’s where his head’s at.
“Both Scott and Michael love to party, love the Holylands and Scott in particular is the sort of guy who would happily stay there for the rest of his life.”
However, despite the brother’s reputation for being the life and soul of the Holyland party scene they have “a lot of expectations on their shoulders”, as Ciaran describes:
“Our father owns one of the biggest law firms in the country and we’re both law students who are supposed to naturally go into that role but because we love a party, we’re finding it hard to accept that idea.
“And our dad, who’s very much aware of this, gives us an ultimatum between one road or the other and I suppose at its core, the film is about us trying to make the right decision.”
Whilst the film is centred around student life in Belfast, Paddy, leading duo Ciaran and Peter and producer Thomas Pollock believe the thoughts and feelings Michael and Scott experience throughout the movie are universally relatable.
“One of things people don’t talk about is that post-uni depression,” Ciaran explains.
“That period where you’re finishing up, you’re into the real world and that’s it - you’re thrown into the deep end and people can struggle to accept that.”
Paddy adds: “A lot of college movies or high school American movies usually present this idea that when the characters leave school and start uni that’s when they mature.
“But because of my experience – and maybe it is because I lived in the Holylands – I think it’s the complete opposite.
“I think in uni people almost go into depths of their immaturity to find out who they are and become more mature because of that.
“That’s something we explore in the movie which I think makes it quite unique.”
Although Paddy has been able to draw inspiration from his own experience as a Holylands ex-pat, neither Peter nor Belfast-born Ciaran went to university in Northern Ireland.
Ciaran, who studied in Manchester, said filming on location was a way of “vicariously living out” his Holylands experience. Meanwhile Peter, who studied in Aberdeen before changing course and moving to London to study acting, said working in the Holylands was “a different level of crazy”.
However, despite the Holylands infamy as the ‘party capital of Ireland’ – as the film’s poster states – Paddy says filming “couldn’t have gone any smoother”.
“I was worried initially,” he confesses.
“It was a month of straight filming, and I had no idea how we were going to stop the inevitable unpredictable-ness of the students, so we were planning months in advance.
“We were actually filming in one of the biggest houses in the Holylands but not only that there were also actually four Newry lads living in it.
“We basically managed to make a deal where we could film in the house throughout the whole month whilst they lived in it at the same time.
“But what was so good about it is that those lads were exactly like the characters,” laughs Paddy.
“It was really authentic and great fun as well.”
Although Ciaran reckons it looked like they were having a little too much fun...
“During one of the house party scenes we actually had the police show up thinking it was an actual house party – but they were very accommodating and blocked off the street for us after we explained ourselves,” he laughs.
The team admit they were pleasantly surprised by the response from students and Holyland residents in general.
“We had a lot of cases of people who’d seen us filming asking if they could get involved and I said, ‘absolutely come on in and be an extra’,” Paddy enthuses.
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But it wasn’t just curious students that wanted to cameo in the film as it also features appearances from country music singer Nathan Carter and boxer Tyrone McKenna.
“They’re two names that shouldn’t go together but they work so well for their purpose,” laughs Paddy.
They also had to re-open production to add in a few scenes with Cold Feet actor James Nesbitt who plays himself, albeit what’s described as an “amplified version”.
“During filming Pete and I went to get a coffee and a vape one day,” Ciaran recalls.
“So, we were walking to the Spar when Jimmy Nesbitt walked out.
“I should stress that we’re both in full costume at this point – Pete’s in his Hawaiian shirt and bucket hat and I’m in a GAA top with a phallic symbol drawn on my face in marker.
“But we asked him for a photo anyway and then he went on his way, but we did kick ourselves for not asking him to do a cameo there and then.
“Fast forward a year-and-a-half and he gets sent the film and he rang me and was like, ‘I absolutely love it. Is there anything I can do to help? Even if you wanted to write me in a little part or something I’ll come down to the Holylands to film it.’
“And fair play to Jimmy he did it, we filmed it and he was incredible – I feel like he elevated the movie to the next level.”
However, celebrity cameos aside, the movie can stand up on its own merits — the team behind it are sure of that, particularly after the success of the private screening in April to over 200 people at Queen’s Film Theatre.
“The screening was a bit of a beta test and so far, it’s gone down so well,” Peter says.
“I think part of it has to do with the Irish culture which is so well received around the world.
“The humour in it and the idiosyncrasies of the characters really draw people in and at its heart it’s a very relatable story about growing up and dealing with identity.
“So hopefully people will get it and we’ll be able to keep them laughing an entertained along the way.”
The Unholylands will premier as part of the Belfast Film Festival at the Odeon cinema in Victoria Square on November 6.
