Shoot begins on 'Unless'

Principal photography has commenced on Unless in Toronto.

Based on the award-winning and final novel from Canadian author Carol Shields, the film stars Catherine Keener and was adapted for the screen by Alan Gilsenan, who will also direct.

Unless is a Canada-Ireland co-production, produced by Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny of Sienna Films and Tristan Orpen Lynch and Aoife O’Sullivan of Subotica. 

Gilsenan commented: “Carol Shields’ Unless is her surprising, moving and angry swan-song, a book both for our time and very much of our time. It is a real honour and delight to be finally bringing it to the cinema screen with such an extraordinary cast.”

Matt Craven, Hannah Gross, Chloe Rose, Abigail Winter, Martha Henry and Hanna Schygulla also star.

Unless centres on writer and translator Reta Winters (Keener) whose life is rocked when her eldest daugher Norah (Gross) drops out of college and is found on a Toronto street corner, pan-handling and refusing to speak.

The film is financed with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), Mongrel Media, the Irish Film Board, Premiere Fund and Windmill Lane Pictures, with development funding by Super Channel.

International sales for Unless will be handled by Mongrel Media.