Synopsis

Pregnant Irish teenager Felicia crosses to England in search of Johnny, the boyfriend who disappeared after promising to marry her. In Birmingham, she encounters Joseph Hilditch, a seemingly helpful catering manager who offers shelter and assistance. As Felicia becomes entangled in his carefully controlled world, his loneliness, disturbing history, and sinister intentions gradually come to light.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is adapted from William Trevor's 1994 novel, which won the Whitbread Book of the Year award and the Whitbread Novel Award.

• It was selected for the main competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival and competed for the Palme d'Or.

• The production marked an unusual international combination: an Irish source novel, a Canadian-led production, and locations in England and Ireland.

• Birmingham was an important setting. The Observer critic Philip French noted that it was the first big-screen film set in the city that he could recall.

• Several Birmingham locations appear in the film, including the Electric Cinema, the Bartons Arms, and Electric Avenue. The Electric Cinema remains one of the United Kingdom's oldest continuously operating cinemas.

• At the 20th Genie Awards in January 2000, the film won four awards: Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Score.

• Its production design and cinematography emphasize damp streets, subdued colors, and enclosed domestic spaces, reinforcing the film's uneasy psychological atmosphere.

• The film was also nominated for the Golden Spike at the 1999 Valladolid International Film Festival, while Paul Sarossy's cinematography won the festival's award for Best Director of Photography.