Once

A street musician in Dublin spends his days working in his father's vacuum repair shop and playing cover songs for passersby, saving his own material for the quieter hours of the night. He is nursing the wounds of a recent breakup and lacks the confidence to perform his own songs in public. A young Czech immigrant who sells flowers on the same streets hears him play and recognizes his talent.

The two begin making music together. She is a pianist and writes her own songs but has never performed them for anyone, while he dreams of recording a demo and leaving for London. Their collaboration grows into something deeper, though circumstances keep them from a simple romantic resolution. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová play the two leads, with Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Alaistair Foley and Geoff Minogue in supporting roles. John Carney directed and wrote the screenplay, and Martina Niland produced. It was the first feature Carney directed, preceding Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son and Power Ballad.

Made in Ireland with backing from Summit Entertainment, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, RTÉ and Samson Films, the film runs 85 minutes. It earned about 21 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a modest production. On IMDb the rating is 8.3/10 from 160 reviews, while on TMDB it is 7.4/10 from 1,504 votes.