Logline
In a secluded corner of the Irish countryside, a group of wandering souls, burdened by heartbreak and regret, cross paths in a realm where memory blurs into reality.
Short Synopsis
In a desolate town where memories linger like ghosts, a young woman searching for her mother’s voice crosses paths with two men bound by their own haunted pasts.
As they attempt to unlock a forgotten truth buried in the static of an old VHS tape, reality and the afterlife blur. Outer Heavens is a surreal ghost story about loss, memory, and the invisible threads that connect us to the ones we’ve lost.
In the shadow of a looming electric pylon, where the hum of an old television fills the night air, a young woman named Palms searches for a voice she can no longer remember, her mother’s.
Drawn to a forgotten VHS tape that may hold the key to reconnecting with her, she finds herself entangled with two older men, Lou and Pa, whose pasts are just as fractured as her own.
As they attempt to uncover the tape’s secrets, reality and the afterlife begin to blur. The town around them, seemingly abandoned, pulses with a strange energy, as if something unseen is watching, waiting.
Time folds in on itself, ghostly echoes of the past bleed into the present, and memories once buried refuse to stay forgotten.
In their desperate search for answers, they confront not just the ghosts that haunt their town, but the ghosts within themselves, the regrets, the missed chances, and the lingering question of whether the ones we’ve lost are ever truly gone.
A surreal and atmospheric ghost story, Outer Heavens is a meditation on loss, memory, and the unseen forces that bind us to the past.
Long Synopsis
Directors Statement
“I wrote this film in a very intuitive and instinctive way. To be honest, I don’t fully know what it is about myself, and I like it that way. It’s a meditation on loss, memory, and connection, something that leaves space for the audience to find their own meaning.”
Behind the scenes
Written in 30 days
Filmed in 3 days
Created with No Budget
“Outer Heavens emerged from a place of necessity and passion.”
Production Journey
We didn’t have much. No budget, no big crew, not even many actors we could call on. But what we did have was a kind of restless energy. I’d been working on a different film at the time, something much bigger, but I realised I just couldn’t make it, not yet. So I turned to what was right in front of me: my cousin Ryan and I had some characters with masks we’d been messing around with in short films, and a I felt like that was something worth exploring.
I decided to write a feature around those characters, and 30 days later, we had a script. We brought in two actors we’d worked with before, people we knew could handle the tone. Then Conor English came in as our DOP and helped shape it into something that could be shot fast, without losing its soul.
We didn’t have the luxury of time, so we set some rules. Shot the whole thing in three days. That urgency gave it this raw, strange atmosphere we really leaned into. The whole thing was kind of like filmmaking in its purest form, no safety net, just instinct and trust.
Cultural and Regional Influences
The Irish midlands serve as more than just a backdrop for Outer Heavens; they are integral to the film’s identity. The rolling landscapes and dense woodlands not only influenced the film’s mood but also became characters in their own right, embodying the themes of isolation and introspection.
Deeply rooted in the traditions and spirituality of the Irish midlands, the narrative delves into the unseen forces that bind us to our past. The film explores local folklore, the enduring presence of ancestral spirits, and the rituals that have shaped the community’s identity, offering a lens into a world where the mystical and the mundane coexist.
With a commitment to authenticity, Outer Heavens aims to portray the depth and resilience of the people from the Irish midlands. By focusing on genuine experiences and narratives, the film seeks to fill a void in the cinematic representation of this region, celebrating its rich cultural tapestry and the universal themes that emerge from it.
Cast & Crew
Cast
Ryan Hoey – Captain Lou
Niamh Ryan – Palms
Calvin Doyle – Pa
Denis Haugh – Fran / The Wizard
Ali Heavey – Maura
(Additional cast, including ghosts, to be added.)
Crew
Writer & Director – Calvin Doyle
Additional Writing & Dialogue – Ryan Hoey
Director of Photography, Editor & Producer – Conor English
Producers – Calvin Doyle, Ryan Hoey, Conor English & Ali Heavey
Original Score – Brian Murphy
Sound Design – Conor English
Production Design & Set Construction – Gary Doyle & Karen Doyle
Photography – Isaac Burke
Photography Assistant – Maya O’Connor
Assistant to Conor English – Saoirse Ryan
Behind-the-Scenes Filming – Eimear Hannon
Editing Consultant – Ali Heavey
Festival and Distribution Inquiries
Outer Heavens is ready to find its audience. Its authenticity and Irish soul make it a unique offering for festival programmers and distributors looking for fresh, original voices in independent cinema.
For more information, press materials, or inquiries:
hello@calvindoyle.com