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‘Room Taken’ Director TJ O’Grady Peyton On Navigating A “Hopeful Message That Division Is Not The Answer” For His Disability And Unhoused Awareness Themed Oscar-Qualifying Short Film


Irish filmmaker TJ O'Grady Peyton talks about making his short film Room Taken which tackles themes of homelessness and the elderly struggle

The short film, written by Michael Whelan and executive produced by Colin Farrell, centers on Isaac ( Gabriel Adewusi), a newly arrived immigrant to Ireland from Nigeria who struggles to find a stable place to lay his head. He then comes across Victoria ( Brid Brennan), a recently widowed elderly blind woman who lives alone and takes the opportunity to secretly stay at her home unnoticed as he awaits news of better accommodations. The other short I made, which probably goes along with Room Taken, is called Wave, which I acted in, premiered in Tribeca, and also won an Irish film and television award, Disney and the New Yorker bought it, which was, at the time, unbelievable.

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