Interview By Louise Cannon (Lou) with Gemma Creagh

I recently had the pleasure to interview Gemma Creagh about her film, Conveyance, thanks to Tom Brumpton. Conveyance was shown at The Glasgow Film Festival earlier in the year.
We talk about this, the film itself and more… Firstly, lets start with the synopsis.

After years of living in sub-par rented accommodation, young couple Brian and Suzanne can’t believe their luck when they finally find their dream home – and at a price that’s almost too good to be true. Elated, they move into their brand new, stunning, sea facing South Dublin apartment, but they soon discover that this idyllic spot isn’t quite what it seems. When objects start moving of their own accord, Brian begins to suspect Apartment 19 in the Seaview complex is haunted by a malevolent spirit. He even calls in spiritual assistance in the form of a white witch to attempt to “cleanse the space”.

Suzanne, however, always the sceptic, barely hides the fact that she thinks he is being ridiculous. With tensions escalating between the couple, and as their living situation becomes borderline dangerous, Suzanne and Brian must face an impossible dilemma. How far will they have to go to keep their dream home?

The film has been covered nationally in Ireland following its premiere at the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh in 2024. This includes mentions by RTE Radio One, Irish Independent, Midlands 103, and the Dublin Gazette.

Welcome, Gemma, to Bookmarks and Stages. It’s a pleasure to interview you.

Thanks for having me!

1. What or who inspired you to be in the business of directing and writing films?

I read an obscene amount growing up. Reading, then writing was something I’d always really enjoyed. I loved disappearing into my weird mind and building make-believe worlds. Not only is this a great way to pass time, it helps you figure things out, and was something I just continued doing all the way into adulthood. One day, just out of college, I got paid to write my first article. Then I submitted a funding application and was commissioned to write a web series for RTÉ.

Making films, and working in the industry in various roles, from training, to production, to administration,  hasn’t been easy… and as a writer, I’ve had my work rejected more times than I care to remember. However, I’ve stuck it out, and learned a lot over the years. Directing is quite new to me—this is my first longer-form funded film, and I absolutely adored every second of it. I hope I get to direct another one soon.

  2. Congratulations in Conveyance being shown at the Glasgow Film Festival. How did you all react when you discovered that your film was chosen for such a prestigious film event and how important a stage is the festival for films such as Conveyance?

Thanks so much! Myself and the whole team were all over the moon. The film premiered last July at the Galway Film Fleadh. This is a brilliant, Oscar-qualifying festival—I’d heartily recommend everyone go. The films are wonderful, and the craic is even better. We’d also screened at some lovely festivals around Ireland.

Finally, to be selected for FrightFest at the Glasgow Film Festival was the best international premiere I could have hoped for. This March,  Conveyance screened to a sold-out audience of over 500, alongside a really brilliant lineup of UK horror shorts. We were the only non-UK title, and this was the only short film section in the festival’s main programme. Myself, Chrissie Cronin (Suzanne in the film), and our collaborator Roisín Kearney met some really lovely people from the Scottish film industry. I really hope I get to come back to Glasgow with something else in the future. And FrightFest audiences? Absolutely brilliant.

    3.  Conveyance starts with a black cat, with the camera zooming in, making it look quite foreboding as tension immediately rises.
What was your inspiration behind this rather effective opening scene?

There is a really wonderful script consultant and teacher, Eilish Kent—here’s her website: https://www.eilishkent.com/about-eilish. She gave me my first break in the industry and very kindly offered to take a peek at the script. That cat was her suggestion, as a way to reveal more of Brian’s nature and the issues in his relationship with Suzanne early on. And funnily enough, that cat now gets us our first laugh at every single screening. Thank you, Eilish!

   4.  The food bubbles too much (which adds a bit of light humour) and then you cut to the sea roaring up, you also have the calm, serene, before the malevolent activity, it seems poetic in a way. Is this technique part of your directing style or something that fit together for this film in-particular and how did it come about?

I’m glad you noticed!  Those small moments were there to  create a sense of discomfort between each scene change. We used pre-laps—like the sound of Suzanne violently chopping blood-red peppers, or odd chimes or footsteps—to bridge the scenes and keep the energy slightly off-kilter. Sound played such an important role in all films, but horror especially. The violent transitions are a classic horror tool, so I don’t know if I’d get to bring them with me into a different genre. Come to think of it, they might make a dramedy all the more interesting though.

   5.  There is some paranormal activity in what should have been the perfect, dream house. What pulled you towards making the house uninhabitable in this particular way and do you believe in ghostly spirits?

So I don’t quite believe in supernatural things like ghosts… but then again, our human perspective on the world is limited—who knows what exists?  Plus, I still won’t watch anything spooky by myself late at night. So what does that tell you?

The apartment is beautiful, and of course it’s too good to be true. It’s a very direct metaphor for the stress that  so many in my generation (and the ones coming up behind me) are dealing with. This couple is stuck. On Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their base level isn’t even being met. So yes, the flat is haunted, and even dangerous for poor Brian at times… but sadly it’s still less bad than the alternatives.

     6. What fascinates you about the paranormal and the techniques used to try to cleanse them from a place, like the house in your film?

Growing up, I loved a good ghost story. Horror is a great way to manifest those real-life fears—finances, love, pressure— in the form of some threat and process them through catharsis.

Our film is a bit of fun, but in real life  I’m very wary of people who claim to be psychics or say they have the answers in exchange for money. All our “cleansers” are a bit sillier and are nods to classic horror tropes. Fr. O’Leary is a lighter take on The Exorcist. Marian, our white witch, wants to believe she’s got all the folk horror rituals down. And Greg, the real estate agent, is our nod to the scariest horror of all—unchecked capitalism. He’s a love letter of sorts to American Psycho.

    7. There’s quite a twist at the end. I won’t say what, so it doesn’t spoil it for future audiences, but how important do you think it is to keep viewers guessing and to have it end in a manner that is, in my opinion, unguessable?

I’m delighted you think it was unguessable—that’s a relief! Because for me, as a writer, that ending was inevitable.

When you’re working on a script, it’s easy to get lost in parts or distracted by details. But for me, theme is key. On the surface, Conveyance is the story of a haunting—but at its core, this film is about Brian and Suzanne as a couple. They’ve spent so much time and energy stressed out by flatmates, parental pressure, house-hunting… they’ve missed something big: are they even suited to one another? In the beginning of our story, Suzanne barrels through everything without a second thought. While Brian avoids conflict so much that he misses aggressive cues altogether. This is their journey to discover if they are even really meant to be together.

     8. Have you got any other film projects lined up?

The proverbial drawer is overrun with ideas. I’m not sure which film project will bubble up next. I was very grateful to get Arts Council funding to write a play, and I’m also attached to some very exciting short films with really talented writers. It’s up to the fates to decide which project gets funded next.

     9. Where can people follow you?

You can catch me on LinkedIn and Instagram!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmacreagh/  

https://www.instagram.com/creagh_fish/

“Thank you very much for your time.”

“Thank you so much for the lovely insightful questions!”