WATCH: Midlands launched movie career of Oscar winner Cillian Murphy

CILLIAN Murphy's road to Oscar glory began in the Midlands in 1997 when he featured in a short movie directed by an Offaly man.

The Oppenheimer Oscar winner from Cork (pictured below) played the part of a rock musician whose band take part in a talent show during the Queen of the Heather Festival in Clara.

The role of Pat in the 26-minute comedy Quando is believed to have been Murphy's film acting debut and the movie won the Audience Award for Best Irish Short at the Cork Film Festival.

Quando tells the story of Jack, Pat and Brian, a three-piece band who start off as a post punk outfit but then have to consider switching to country if one band member is to pursue his love interest in a local hairdresser.

In one line from the film Cillian Murphy's character can be heard saying: “Are you mad or what? I'm not going playing any holy Jesus country music sh... for no one.”

A preview of the Recks (pictured below) directed Quando can be seen on YouTube and though the video quality is poor, Clara viewers should see if they can recognise the Dolphin pub and a Queen of the Heather contestant wearing a Mill House sash.

Quando director Declan Recks' first movie was The Big Swinger in 1989 and he went on to carve out a successful career in film and television, winning an IFTA best director award for Pure Mule.

His latest film is Tarrac, an Irish language movie written by Edenderry man Eugene O'Brien, will be screened on TG4 on Monday, March 18 next at 9.30pm.

Declan Recks is a graduate of Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design (Dublin), and UCLA Extension (Los Angeles), where he studied film and television.