Laois woman’s life and friendship with Hollywood star to go global

The story of Laois woman Emma Forarty’s life with the debilitating condition known as butterfly skin and her friendship with Hollywood star Colin Farrell is recounted in a new film that is set to screened globally.

The Slightest Touch is the name of a new documentary film that has just received its premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival.

Directed by Rachel Fleit, The Slightest Touch follows their lives and the enduring friendship between the Abbeyleix woman and the Dublin actor over the past 15 years.

The film begins when Emma celebrates her 40th birthday, an age doctors told her parents she would never reach.

It centres on the fundraising effort involving Emma, who lives with the rare, extremely painful condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), and Colin, and the Dublin Marathon in 2024. Colin pushed Emma’s wheelchair for the final four kilometres.

The fundraiser would raise an incredible €1 million for the work of Debra Ireland, the EB organisation of which Emma is an ambassador.

The film debuted at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin on Saturday, February 28. Colin and Emma were there for the big night.

The production is set to get an even bigger audience in the months ahead as HBO Documentary Films acquired television and streaming rights to the film. HBO is an American premium television network and service.

It’s reported that HBO will premiere the doc later in 2026, and it will also stream on HBO Max globally, including on its newly launched UK and Irish service.

The film is made by Fine Point Films and Chapel Place Productions, is co-produced by Farrell and is supported by Northern Ireland Screen and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.

The friends were interviewed on RTÉ Radio 1’s The Brendan O’Connor Show.

Asked about her dreams growing up, Emma said: "Honestly, to prove everyone wrong."

Farrell described the production as an unscripted, small-scale process. He described what emerged as "a collection of conversations we had and thoughts that we shared" that culmites with the marathon.