French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier was found dead at her holiday home in West Cork in December 1996.Rolling News
A new docu-drama by renowned Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan that explores the unsolved murder of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork has begun principal photography.
"Re-creation" will strive to uncover the truth behind the 1996 murder of Toscan du Plantier, who was found beaten to death outside her rented accommodation near Toormore, County Cork.
Sheridan, a six-time Academy Award nominee, previously directed a hugely successful five-part series for Sky Crime entitled "Murder at the Cottage: The Search for Justice for Sophie", which first hit screens in 2021.
Using fiction to question reality, Sheridan's new docu-drama will see the famous Irish filmmaker become the protagonist who is accompanied by the character of Toscan du Plantier.
The two will accompany the viewer through the complex details of the case, debunking the official versions and convenient truths, revealing new clues that could potentially change the course of the case.
"Call it obsession. Call it anger. Call it justice. Call it what you want. I am still on a quest for Sophie," Sheridan said in a statement.
Sheridan has teamed up with Irish writer and director David Merriman for the new docu-drama.
The documentary parts of Re-creation will be shot in Ireland, France, and the US, while the drama parts will be shot on a sound stage in Luxembourg.
The production is supported by Screen Ireland, Film Fund Luxembourg, and Eurimages and will be made available for theatrical release in spring 2024.
The brutal murder of Toscan du Plantier on December 23, 1996 is one of the most famous in Irish history and has remained unsolved for the last 27 years.
Despite no evidence, the local journalist Ian Bailey was accused of Toscan du Plantier's murder several weeks into the initial investigation and Sheridan claims that a narrative has existed ever since.
Sheridan's film will attempt to examine the complex case from a fresh angle using a cinematic approach.