After mounting various challenges and undergoing an intensive prep period – that included storyboarding, rehearsing and location scouting - today is a very special day for Simon Fitzmaurice and the team behind My Name Is Emily.
Today marks the first day of filming on a project that award-winning film-maker Simon Fitzmaurice began writing 5 years ago.
In 2008, Simon was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), a debilitating neurological condition that left him without the ability to move.
He was given 3 years to live and, when his lungs finally gave in, doctors told him it was time to die. He refused and with an incredible amount of strength, resolve and courage, he now lives at home in Greystones with his wife Ruth and his 5 children, Jack, Raife, Arden, Sadie and Hunter. He communicates through an Eye-Gaze computer and has a ventilator to keep him alive.
My Name Is Emily - the story
Back in November 2013, Ray D’Arcy visited Simon and his wife Ruth at home to chat about life with MND and to find out about the film script that Simon was working on. Simon was hoping to get it into production and to direct it.
Listen back:
The film is being funded by the Irish Film Board, but the production team needed to raise an extra €200,000 to be able to make it with Simon at the helm. They launched a campaign to raise these much needed extra funds to pay for everything from spare batteries to special monitors, computers to a custom-adapted car to be his base on set. The crew will work longer hours and extra days to ensure Simon can direct the film from start to finish.
Full steam ahead
In July, the team received wonderful news - thanks to the Irish Film Board, the film’s Swedish co-producers and generous donations from supporters, My Name Is Emily hit its target and was given a GREEN LIGHT!
Last week Simon Fitzmaurice visited the set for the test shoots and was able to direct his crew:
The team also have released a photo of their first call sheet for the film:
Filming is expected to last 5 weeks.
Simon's other project
In June, Ray D'Arcy visited Simon to chat about a book he wrote called It’s Not Yet Dark. It's a book about life, love and living with MND against all odds:
Ice Ice D'Arcy
Ray D'Arcy paid tribute to Simon Fitzmaurice during his own ice bucket challenge - watch here
