Filmed in Northern Ireland and set in Anywhere In The Irish Countryside, this low-key tale of male bonding fondly charts the fortunes of a brace of small town ne’er-do-wells. Doug (Iain Glen) dreams of being a country singer but he’s the wrong side of thirty and won’t let anyone hear the demo he carries around with him. His best friend (Steven Mackintosh) is the downtrodden mechanic who hopes to persuade his son (Laurence Kinlan) to stay in the ramshackle family business of the title.
“I guess it’s an offbeat drama,” says Mr. Heery. “But there is certainly a comic element to it. It’s small and character driven and has a sensibility that’s filtered through Americana.”
Happily, this sensibility extends to the style of country music on the film’s soundtrack. Though the location of the shoot may conjure up Shania Twain at her shrieky best or the earnest plodding of Daniel O’ Donnell, Mr. Heery stuck to more cosmopolitan material.
“To be honest I don’t know a huge amount about pop-country in Ireland,” says Niall diplomatically. “But it can’t be worse than contemporary mainstream country in America. I knew from the outset that Doug’s music would be more American influenced. I like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard and more left of centre modern stuff like Smog or Willard Grant Conspiracy. That’s the kind of thing you’ll find on the soundtrack.”
Having worked on pop promos and short films for quite some time, Niall has been able to hone his directorial skills while perfecting his very moving screenplay for Small Engine Repair.
“It’s taken about four-and-a-half years to get the film made,” he says. “Basically since I decided I wanted to direct a feature. I’m glad to see it finally out there at film festivals.”