The Irish producer of the Oscar-winning Poor Things said “sustained investment” from the State is needed to continue filmmaking in Ireland.
After being nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Poor Things won four at the ceremony last night, including Best Production Design and Best Actress for Emma Stone.
While directed by Greece’s Yorgos Lanthimos and featuring a cast of Americans and British people, Poor Things was a triumph for Irish cinema, having been produced by Dublin-based company Element Pictures.
Co-founder and Poor Things Producer Andrew Lowe spoke to Newstalk Breakfast from Los Angeles about the “delight” of the film team.
“It was kind of a long journey to get to the Oscars and we went in with obviously lots of nominations but a lot of nervousness,” he said.
“We're really thrilled to come away with four wins.”
Founded in 2001, Element Pictures has worked on some of the most highly acclaimed films and TV shows in the 21st century, including Room and Normal People, both directed by Lenny Abrahamson.
Poor Things (2023) directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone. Credit: BFA / Searchlight PicturesThe company has also worked with Lanthimos several times before, who is known for his unconventional films.
Mr Lowe said Poor Things isn’t a typical Oscar-darling, but the Academy has “evolved” in the last number of years.
“The last number of years, there’s been winners that aren’t obvious Oscar-bait like Parasite [and] Everything Everywhere All at Once last year,” he said.
“It’s quite an unconventional film in a lot of ways, it’s fair to say Poor Things is a challenging film, but also joyous and positive.”
Irish filmmaking
Along with Cillian Murphy’s Oscar win, and the success of previous Irish films, cinema in the Emerald Isle continues to grow – but is there any room for improvement?
“The success we’re seeing is the result of decades of investment by the State and the tax incentives,” Mr Lowe said.
“But in a way we’re only really getting started and that investment needs to be sustained and improved.”
He pointed out the UK recently announced tax incentives for lower budget filmmaking to encourage more production in the area, something Mr Lowe thinks Ireland should replicate.
“That's an example of how competitive the landscape is and that’s something we need to look at to match,” he said.
Recent blockbusters filmed in Ireland include The Wonder starring Florence Pugh, upcoming rom-com Irish Wish starring Lindsay Lohan and the Oscar-nominated Banshees of Inisherin.
