'Once' is a modern-day musical. Set on the streets of Dublin, it features eight songs by Glen Hansard - Of Irish band The Frames - who also stars in the film. 'Once' tells the story of a busker and an immigrant who fall in love over an eventful week, as they write, rehearse and record a number of songs.

Essentially a mood piece, 'Once' is an attempt to make an unselfconscious musical which will appeal to a more modern audience. The use of actual musicians over professional actors, real locations, and a free-form camera and editing style, lends a refreshing element of realism to a genre which contemporary viewers can often find hard to stomach.
Hansard's music already has a huge following in Ireland and abroad, and the intention of 'Once' was to make a kind of visual album, set against the backdrop of a fast-changing city. At its heart the film is a simple, classic story of two artists falling in love.

Written and directed by: John Carney
Produced by Martina Niland and David Collins
Production Company: Samson Films
Distributed in Ireland by: Buena Vista International