Posted by The drama promises to show new evidence – and possibly even clear Bailey’s name
Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan has said he believes Ian Bailey was “probably innocent” of the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier – and has now completed a film about the case.
The French filmmaker was bludgeoned to death outside her holiday home in Toormore on the outskirts of Schull in West Cork on December 23, 1996. Bailey – who always denied involvement – remained as the key suspect into her horrific death, but was never charged by Gardai.
He was convicted of murder in absentia in a French court in 2019 but was never extradited, and later died in of a heart attack in Bantry in January 2024.
Now Jim Sheridan, director of My Left Foot and Sky documentary Murder at the Cottage: The Search for Justice for Sophie , has released a new docudrama examining the case. The 89-minute film, titled Re-creation, recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
The film promises to bring new evidence to light about Ms Toscan du Plantier’s death, with Sheridan having previously vowed to clear Bailey’s name. Co-writer David Merriman said that he and Jim hired private investigators to help research the case, before uncovering “new information” that inspired the docudrama.
The film sees Ian Bailey portrayed by actor Colm Meaney, while Sheridan himself plays a jury foreman and Game of Thrones and Love/Hate star Aiden Gillen plays prosecutor Hamilton Barnes.
Sheridan started work on the film after spending five years making Murder at the Cottage, for which he spent time with Bailey at his home in West Cork and ultimately recorded more than 400 hours of footage.
While festival goers have been able to see Re-creation in New York, a general release date for Ireland is yet to be announced.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Sheridan said he believes the case is a “double injustice”: “I feel Sophie’s murderer has never been found, her death has never been avenged.
“A man who probably was 100% innocent has been castigated through life; he lived a horrible life and died a horrible death and has a horrible name. I don’t think he killed her and there’s not a shred of evidence to say he did.”
Bailey was convicted in absentia after a trial in France in 2015. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, officials in France were unable to extradite him to Paris to serve the sentence handed down by the courts.
Sheridan said that Bailey’s conviction in a French court was a “farce”. When asked about the reaction of the Toscan du Plantier family, Sheridan said that “of course” he knew he risked upsetting them when he made the film.
“You can’t say because you’re upset that you can ruin another man’s life,” he said. “There’s no evidence.”
He added that the family of Bailey has also suffered over the years: “I’m sure Ian Bailey’s sister was upset that there was nobody at his funeral and that he had to die that ignominious way,” he said. “I’m sure she’s upset.”
During a defamation trial in Dublin in 2014, Bailey admitted that he had been “seriously violent” towards his partner on three occasions. When asked about Bailey’s history of violence, Sheridan described it as “not good”.
While the film is likely to draw a curious audience when it is released in Ireland, a lawyer for the Toscan du Plantier family has questioned the production, the Irish Mirror reports.
Lawyer lain Spilliaert said he had not seen the film yet but that he has concerns: “Mr Jean-Pierre Gazeau, the uncle of Sophie and President of the Association, raised the issue of questionable ethics.
“We feel that it is not relevant to show a fictional movie at this point of time of the criminal investigation. This is such a large, sensitive case in Ireland… and it’s not finished.”
Mr Spilliaert added that it would have been better to wait until the investigation finishes before any drama about the case is released.
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