Synopsis
A disillusioned Chicago schoolteacher travels to Ireland with his nephew after discovering clues that challenge everything he knows about his mother's past and his own parentage. As he investigates, the film moves between the present and the 1930s, revealing a forbidden romance divided by class, religion, and family pressure, and uncovering secrets that have shaped several generations.
Factoids & Trivia
- The story grew from an anecdote that the Quinn brothers' mother heard while growing up in Ireland. Paul Quinn expanded that starting point into a fictional screenplay.
- This was Paul Quinn's feature filmmaking debut. His brothers Aidan and Declan Quinn were closely involved, with Aidan appearing in the film and Declan handling the cinematography.
- The film was shot on location in Ireland, including County Wicklow, County Kildare, County Offaly, and Dublin, with additional work in Montreal.
- Production took place in June and July 1997. The film later screened at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival and served as the closing film of that year's Galway Film Fleadh.
- The Quinn family's involvement extended beyond the feature itself. Fergus Tighe's documentary Three Brothers covered the family and the making of This Is My Father.
- The production received a family-centered reception at Galway, where it was voted Best First Film of the festival.