Learning to Breathe Under Water / Cannes Premiere

Congratulations to the team behind Learning to Breathe Under Water on your recent Cannes debut.

Expertly directed by Rebekah Fortune and beautifully cast by the team at Des Hamilton Casting, the film stars Rory Kinnear, Maria Bakalova, and rising talent Ezra Carlisle in a moving exploration of memory, loss, and the fragile threads that bind us.

This sweet Irish co-production was selected for the 2025 Great 8 Showcase at Cannes, spotlighting standout new voices from Ireland and the UK.

We’re excited to see what’s next for this powerful debut, proudly cast with the help of Fishpond. 

"Leo is eight, curious, wise and full of imagination. His best friend is a massive shark—half sculpture, half myth—that crashed through the roof of his house one night when his dad, Peter, gave shape to what he couldn’t say out loud.

Leo’s world is full of questions: why do grown-ups act so strangely? Where did Mum go five years ago? And will Dad ever come down from the clouds—or at least remember to do the shopping? Peter’s either buried in big, bonkers art projects or barely speaking, so Leo daydreams vividly and shares his secrets with the shark, who might just be listening but can’t speak back.

Then Anya bursts into their lives: a spirited au pair with her own questions to shatter the silence and answers more honest than Leo has ever heard before. Her fearless warmth and energy brings back colour to their world and uplifts their lives."

- from bfi.org.uk