When his parents separate, Francis’ 11-year-old world implodes. Desperate to escape his reality, Francis spends his nights secretly immersed in his dad’s collection of violent gangster movies. When it is revealed that a strange man living in the nearby woods is in fact an exiled mobster on the run from his own family, Francis determines to seek his guidance. Beneath the eternal trees, a strange friendship develops as the two bond over their past traumas, a shared love of nature and a passion for the F-word. But, with this bright new confidence comes a dark shadow that quickly consumes the once kind-natured boy. As Francis’ parents’ lives finally begin to move forward, he finds himself torn between his saviour and his reality.

World premiere: Galway Film Fleadh 2024