Tim Robbins and Julie Christie filming in Belfast

Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins and Isabel Coixet at THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS press conference

Julie Christie (FINDING NEVERLAND, TROY, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN) will be starring alongside Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins (MYSTIC RIVER, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION), and Sarah Polley (MY LIFE WITHOUT ME, GO) in THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS. The shoot is taking place on an oil rig in Belfast, as well as a number of coastal and rural locations.

Shooting began in Madrid on Monday 8 November on director Isabel Coixet’s latest film, which is produced by Spanish production company El Deseo with the participation of Mediapro. The budget of the film is €4 million (Euros) and shooting will finish at the end of December.

Set on an oil rig in the North Sea, where a handful of men of different nationalities work and live in unsettled harmony, the story is set around Hanna (Sarah Polley), a reserved and mysterious 30 year old. She leads a monotonous, solitary existence, working in a textile factory and forced by her manager to take a vacation in the small coastal town which looks out at the rig. Chance leads her to spend a few days there, looking after Josef (Tim Robbins) who has suffered a series of burns which have left him temporarily blind.

Additional cast members include Javier Cámara (BAD EDUCATION, TALK TO HER) and Eddie Marsan (21 GRAMS, GANGS OF NEW YORK). The NIFTC’s production department liaised between El Deseo and Harland & Wolff to secure the film location.

NIFTC Chief Executive Richard Williams commented:

“It’s very exciting that we're getting such an eclectic mix of films coming to shoot in Northern Ireland.  El Deseo is a very well regarded Spanish production company and obviously Tim Robbins is a household name.  This film is further evidence that Northern Ireland is an attractive place for international film makers to shoot their films. We wish the cast and crew good luck and know that they will be very well treated in Northern Ireland. This has already been illustrated by the help provided by Harland & Wolff, who despite being extremely busy have bent over backwards to assist the production by making one of the three oil rigs presently at the docks available for the film."

 Hot Shot Films Managing Direcor Brendan Byrne commented: 

"Hotshot Films are delighted to have been appointed as UK production services provider to such a prestigious film. Having our name mentioned in the same breath as cinema greats such as Tim Robbins, Julie Christie and Pedro Almodovar is a great honour for us and is a valuable springboard for our own ambitions in the film industry."

It is our job to make sure that the Northern Ireland shoot goes as smoothly as possible and I am confident that, with the experienced team we have assembled, our Spanish colleagues will leave here with a very positive impression of both Hotshot Films and the local industry as a whole."