"Bunker Baby": Conor McCormick’s Dark Comedy on Parenthood

Three Key Takeaways

Bunker Baby explores the claustrophobia and anxiety of impending parenthood amid Ireland’s housing crisis with a surreal, darkly comedic tone.
Conor McCormick blends drama and comedy to create a film that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, drawing from his own experience moving back home.
The film’s independent production allowed for a pure artistic vision, supported by a talented cast whose nuanced performances shaped the story’s emotional depth.

Irish filmmaker Conor McCormick’s latest short film, Bunker Baby, is a poignant and darkly comedic exploration of young parenthood under the shadow of Ireland’s housing crisis.

Featuring a talented cast including Diarmuid Noyes, Niamh Branigan, Ciaran Bermingham, and Linda Ryan, the film premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh and will have its international premiere at Nòt Film Fest.

With cinematography by Albert Hooi and production led by Lorcan O'Hanlon, Bunker Baby showcases a uniquely Irish story with universal resonance.

Q&A Interview

What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?

Where did the ambition to make the film come from? While about to pack up my things from my flat in London to move back home to my parents house in Ireland in my late twenties! It’s a sad reality and ubiquitous anecdote really. Especially when pursuing a career in the arts. It’s either work a full time job or two to be able to afford rent … or else go back home to try and save. I was in a whirlwind time of my life where I felt like I should be progressing but going through a change that felt regressive.

Ultimately though the pain and struggle that is highlighted in the film came from this overwhelming sense of stasis. What other options are there? How do you fix something that is extremely broken. It felt like no one person could come up with a solution and I became really fascinated by interrogating that idea through multiple characters and viewpoints. For me, I find comfort in shared experiences. While I’m not thankfully others feel the same sense of pressure it’s comforting to know you’re not alone in that struggle.

“Comedy is such a remedy for me and I just felt like there is a perfect balance to be mined here in terms of showing something that is dramatic and profound and to also show it in a surreal and darkly comic format.”

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?

I think when first envisioning the film from the shooting draft to actually being there on the day I thought that the film might be much more comedic throughout than it ended up being.

I think its just a testament to their immense skill and ability to find the truth in some of the absurd moments.

“The subtle and nuanced performances our cast brought to the film ended shaping the more dramatic moments of the film in ways I never would have imagined.”

Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?

I think the tone in the film feels the most me. The blend of anxiety induced drama into comedy and back again is somewhere I feel like a lot of my stories try to live. I try with each film to bring varying genre elements throughout.

What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?

Cutting a massive chunk of the film out in the edit to keep the runtime down. Our first cuts of the film where sitting closer to the 30 minute mark and showcased more of the wonderful performances all of our cast did, but myself and Brendan Corcoran the editor knew it had to try and work at a sub 20 minute runtime, so we had to cut a lot of stuff we really loved.

What do you hope audiences take away from your film?

Through the film we aim not to foster apathy but rather to shed light on a shared struggle, offering a glimpse of solidarity and understanding to our audiences. With Bunker Baby we hope that this surreal tale ignites awareness and provides a sense of humanity, leaving audiences engaged, reflective, and I hope strangely comforted.

How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?

It has hopefully helped me refine a unique sense of tone, and definitely compelled me to try and make more films that blur the lines between the surreal and the grounded.

What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?

Our crew was really exceptional and it would not have been possible without all of them. it truly takes a village, and its such a privilege and greatest joy to work with so many talented and passionate artists from Ireland, the UK and further afield. I think we all came together as a cast and crew to give it our everything and hopefully make a piece of work that engages audiences, provokes debates and resonates with viewers.

Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project?

When not working independently you often have to compromise in some aspect of the original vision to make it work for whatever funder is attached, but with truly independent filmmaking you don't have those shackles and can for better or worse make the thing you truly intended to. Its incredibly liberating, and such a joy to work in that way.

“The greatest strength of independent filmmaking is that you only have to answer to yourselves and can create something that it totally the shared vision of the artists who want to be involved.”

What does it mean to you to have your film selected for Nòt Film Fest?

It is an absolute honour and privilege to screen at Nòt Film Fest. Their ethos of independent filmmaking is incredibly inspiring, and the lineup of films this year looks incredible. I can't wait to see as much as I can.

How do you hope being part of Nòt Film Fest will shape the life of this film?

We hope audiences will resonate with our film as it is our international premiere its exciting and nerve racking to see how it will play outside of Ireland, but we hope it is well received and sets us up to do more international screenings.

Where do you see this film going next?

We are working with Eroin films to distribute the film and we hope to still bring it to audiences around the world for now, and hopefully find some other platforms for it in the future. A feature script is in the works also.