Elevating Queer Irish Storytelling With Dollar Baby’s

 

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Short films demand impact in minimal time, and Dollar Baby’s delivers with such ease and flair. This bold, fresh take on love, identity, and the realities of migration and self-discovery makes it a must-watch.

At its heart is Shannon Haly, writer and lead actress, whose raw talent and vision demand attention. Co-directed by her sister Megan Haly and Remi Alfallah, the film delivers an emotionally charged exploration of life on the margins of Los Angeles.

Shannon’s narrative follows the journey of Maedbh, an Irish girl who has moved to the States, and her American girlfriend, Frankie, as they navigate the venture into the LA sugar baby scene. It’s a story that sheds light on the complex realities of survival, relationships, and discovery, peeling back the curtain on the illusion of easy money and the so-called American Dream.

It makes a powerful statement on the importance of authentic queer representation, something Shannon is fiercely committed to amplifying.

Ahead of its much-anticipated Irish debut, we caught up with Shannon to talk about the creative process behind Dollar Baby’s, the importance of queer storytelling, and what it’s like to collaborate with her close crew, including her sister on projects that are both fearless and timely.

The Spark Behind the Story

“I lived in the U.S from 19 to 25, and found it fascinating how everyone back home assumed that I was living in some idealised American fantasy,” Shannon shares.

“In reality, I was struggling, financially, emotionally, and mentally. My visa made it nearly impossible to find stable work, and I was constantly trying to make everything look fine when, in truth, I was kind of miserable.”

 

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When she moved to LA in 2022, she noticed how normalised the sugar baby lifestyle was. “The money, the allure, it all seemed too good to be true. I started writing Dollar Baby’s as a way to bridge these two worlds: what happens when a young woman, trying to survive and find herself, is faced with the seductive promise of easy cash?”

Queer Representation Done Right

For many queer Irish women, seeing themselves on screen is still rare. Shannon hopes Dollar Baby’s changes that. “I’ve always believed that we turn to TV and film to figure out who we are,” she explains.

“Growing up in Ireland, queer representation was practically non-existent, I had to go down the YouTube rabbit holes just to find anything relatable. The first lesbian couple I ever saw in real life was in New York when I was 20! Imagine how much sooner I might have figured out my identity if I had seen queer stories growing up.”

But Shannon is determined to rewrite the narrative. “I’ve always felt strongly about creating queer stories that don’t centre around shame and trauma, I know how vibrant and exciting it is to be queer and I wanted Dollar Baby’s to reflect that, to show two queer women simply existing and navigating life together.”

Collaboration and Sisterhood

Kyra Green, takes the role of Frankie, one of the film’s leads. How did she come into the picture? “Remi Alfallah, our co-director and producer, reached out to her on social media. Kyra sent in a self-tape, and from the get go, we knew she was Frankie. She embodied everything we envisioned, so that was really exciting!”

With Dollar Baby’s co-directed by Shannon’s sister Megan and filmmaker Remi Alfallah, their creative partnership is one built on trust and mutual respect.

“I actually met Remi through LinkedIn in November 2023 when I reached out about her coming on board for Dollar Baby’s. We clicked immediately and have been great friends ever since! In fact, we just moved in together in London with our girlfriends. I feel so lucky to have built such a strong friendship through this process.”

 

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Since working together on this film, Shannon and Remi have teamed up again for another short film, Breakfast Roll, and are eager to collaborate on even more projects in the future. As for working with her sister Megan, Shannon says their creative relationship has always been strong.

“Megan and I have always wanted to work in film. Since we were around 16, my best friend Eiza and I would ditch school to write scripts in a cafe. That creative spark was always there, but it wasn’t until 2020 that Megan and I properly started working together.”

Does working with family ever lead to creative clashes? “We for sure have our moments, but we work so well together because we just get each other. We have a shorthand that makes everything smoother. Honestly, I couldn’t do this without her.”

Emerging Irish Filmmakers

“We are so lucky in Ireland to have resources like Screen Ireland, X-Pollinator, and the National Talent Academics. My advice? Apply for everything. Get involved. When I was in the States there was nothing like this so knowing that there is a support system in place within Ireland is a relief,” Shannon shares.

“When Megan and I were starting, we built a collective of creatives, directors, editors, actors, and writers and it meant we could create short films on basically zero budget. That gave us our first two shorts and we all got something out of it!”

Shannon draws inspiration from some of the biggest changemakers in film. “Sharon Horgan, Britt Marling, Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ryan Murphy, Celine Song, Greta Gerwig are all people I look up to so much.”

As Dollar Baby’s prepares to hit the Dublin Film Festival, one thing is clear. Shannon Haly is not just a storyteller, she’s a movement. Her fearless voice is a vital one in this country and in this industry.

Shannon is carving out a space where queer Irish narratives are not just seen but celebrated and we cannot wait to see all of her success!