The Runway

This is the story of Paco, an illegitimate nine-year-old, who, thanks to his imaginative mother Grace, is convinced that his absent father is a Spanish astronaut who works for N.A.S.A. They live in the depressed town of Kilpadder, Co. Cork. Once the double-glazing capital of Ireland, it is now crippled by factory closure. As his mother struggles with her busy job as a waitress, Paco is left to deal with the harsh reality of being an illegitimate child in a small Irish town. When Ernesto Sanchez, a charismatic South American Pilot, crashes his cargo plane in the field, Paco confuses the wingless plane wreck for a N.A.S.A. rocket and contrives to keep the pilot secret. But it is not long before Ernesto and his plane are discovered and, having learned some Spanish for his father's return, Paco is the only person in the town who can translate. Against all odds, Paco manages to convince the locals to repair the plane, build a runway and get Ernesto home. In doing so, the people unwittingly put Kilpadder on the map again as their struggle captures the imagination of the nation and the magnetic Ernesto wins over their hearts and minds and transforms the lives of Paco and Grace. But Ernesto has a secret of his own. He's on the run from the Columbian mafia with a mysterious cargo and it's only a matter of time before they catch up with him… - Rome International Film Festival 2010