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Zonad

Zonad is a comedy film by John and Kieran Carney that premiered in July 2009 at the Galway Film Fleadh. The film went to general release in Ireland March 19, 2010.

Premise

An escaped convict fools a whole Irish village into thinking he's a visitor from outer space. Zonad, a strange visitor comes to the town of Ballymoran, is taken in by the Cassidy family and accepted by the locals as an extraterrestrial. His comfortable existence is spoiled when Bonad arrives to replace him.

Unreleased short film version

In 2003, John Carney co-wrote and co-directed an earlier version of Zonad, a short film, with Kieran Carney and Tom Hall. Starring Simon Delaney and Cillian Murphy, Zonad was low-budget and was never released. Murphy played the role of Guy Hendrickson, later played by Rory Keenan.

Cast

Simon Delaney as Zonad, Liam Murphy.
David Pearse as Bonad, Francis O'Connor. Bonad is Zonad's superior officer.
Geoff Minogue as Dick Cassidy
Donna Dent as Mary Cassidy
Janice Byrne as Jenny Cassidy
Kevin Maher as Jimmy Cassidy
Rory Keenan as Guy Hendrickson
David Murray as Benson, Guy Hendrickson's loyal manservant.
Don Wycherley as a police sergeant

Production

It was filmed in Avoca, County Wicklow, with many of the outdoor scenes filmed in the garden of Kilqueeny House in the village. The interior bar scenes were filmed in The Harbour Bar in Bray, County Wicklow, which was also used in Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto.

Reception

Critical response

The Irish Times wrote "We laughed like the proverbial drain". Variety writer John Anderson describe it as a "nutroll of a comedy" made from equal parts Pleasantville, The Quiet Man and the old Carry On films.

The Evening Herald wrote "Awful, and with a disturbingly sleazy undercurrent to boot".