Monday, 15th December, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Grace, a young woman with Down Syndrome, has a boyfriend. Their quiet love story is upended as others make decisions on her behalf, forcing her to fight for her independence, her relationship and her right to be heard.
Grace is a poignant coming-of-age drama centred on a woman in her late 20s with Down Syndrome, navigating the complexities of adulthood, independence, and first love from within a residential support house. Filmed entirely from Grace’s perspective, conversations about her life are overheard through door cracks, over banisters, or from the next room, immersing the audience in her world. Within the structured routines of Orchard House, Grace longs for more freedom and a deeper connection with her boyfriend, Tommy. Their relationship is playful and increasingly intense, but others don’t take it seriously. As Grace travels independently, attends college and is learning life skills, she is slowly finding her voice. But when she pushes against the boundaries set for her, the consequences ripple through her carefully managed world. As everyone scrambles to act in her best interest, Grace realises that Tommy and herself have little real control over their lives. Yet she’s no longer afraid to say what she thinks, surprising everyone. Grace explores love, consent, and self-determination in a society still catching up with the rights of intellectually disabled adults despite changes in the law. It invites us to see what Grace sees and to question what we think we know.
GRACE is written and directed by Anna Rodgers who previously won an IFTA for Best Director for her documentary Somebody to Love which addressed sex, love and relationships for people with disabilities. She recently directed a feature documentary on HIV disclosure with Shaun Dunne titled HOW TO TELL A SECRET which was released on Netflix. She also won the Netflix Documentary Talent Award for her short film TWO MOTHERS which is the story of the extraordinary connection between an Irish mother and her Ukrainian surrogate mother during a time of war.
The film is produced by Nuala Carr who’s recent drama credits include The Unreal Series 1 and 2 (2025,2024) family drama series for RTÉ and Glitch (2025) children’s drama for EBU, both directed by Bonnie Dempsey. Recent documentaries include The Locals (2024) and Stories from the Street (2023) directed by Luke McManus.
The executive producer is Zlata Filipovic, an Emmy and IFTA award winning producer. Her more recent credits include HOW TO TELL A SECRET, TWO MOTHERS, LISTEN TO THE LAND SPEAK and THE FARTHEST.
This is an Invisible Thread production.
