爱尔兰独立电影《Once》在仅仅140家影院就获得了总计为六百五十万美元的票房，而这部电影的投资更是仅仅只有十五万美元。这样骄人的成绩自然是躲不过电影业巨头之一——福克斯公司的法眼，有意斥巨资作该片的宣传工作，帮助此片取得更加瞩目的成绩。
根据杂志《USA Today》的报道，该片甚至引发了大导演史蒂文.斯皮尔伯格的注意。后者告诉该杂志说：“这一部名为《Once》的影片果真是小成本，大味道。它所给予我的灵感我想足够我受用大半年的。”
这部影片的成功令其电影制作人——歌手 Glen Hansard 和 Marketa Irglova吃惊不小。他们两人原先的意图只是在演唱会上播放此片而已。
About the Cast
Glen Hansard (The Guy)
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1970, Glen Hansard is the lead singer, guitarist and a founding member of Irish rock group The Frames. He quit school at the age of 13 to begin busking on Dublin streets and gradually established himself as one of Irish music's most popular and greatest talents.
He first came to public attention as guitar player Outspan Foster in the Alan Parker film THE COMMITMENTS.
Prior to THE COMMITMENTS, he secured a record deal with Island Records and subsequently formed The Frames in 1990. The band has been recording and touring ever since, and included filmmaker John Carney as bass player in its earliest incarnation.
The band released their sixth studio album The Cost in September 2006 to widespread acclaim. The Frames are currently touring around Europe and will reach the USA in early 2007.
In April 2006, Hansard released his first solo album, The Swell Season, in collaboration with Czech singer and multi-instrumentalist Marketa Irglova.
Marketa Irglova (The Girl)
Born in Monravia in 1988, and a resident of Prague in the Czech Republic, Marketa Irglova is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.
Although only 19, she has proved to be quite a talent, having already recorded an album of music with Glen Hansard while also co-starring alongside him in ONCE.
She began playing music at the age of seven, when her parents got her a piano and piano lessons. When she was nine, her father bought her a guitar and she immediately began playing and learning songs by ear.
She met Glen Hansard when he was visiting Prague, and they began playing together and eventually collaborated musically, which resulted in the release of an album, The Swell Season.
About the Filmmakers and Crew
John Carney (Writer/Director)
John was born in Dublin in 1972, and began his film career writing, producing and directing two award-winning short films, SHINING STAR and HOTEL, and directing videos for Irish Band The Frames, with whom he also played bass guitar from 1991 to 1993.
His first feature film, NOVEMBER AFTERNOON, a low-budget black-and-white production, was voted Best Feature of 1997 by the Irish Times, and ran on the U.S. festival circuit.
John wrote, directed and scored his next project, the hour-long TV film JUST IN TIME, starring Frances Barber and Gerard McSorley. The Irish Times voted it Best TV Film of 1998.
He subsequently co-wrote and directed ON THE EDGE, starring Cillian Murphy and Stephen Rea, for Universal Studios. John won the Silver Hitchcock Award for the film at the 2001 Dinard Film Festival.
The film received positive notices for its "fine understated performances ... alternating between heart-warming and heartbreaking in equal measure ..." and "Carney's slick visual style and ear for quirky soundtrack choices." The film was distributed internationally by UIP.
After completing post-production, John turned his hand to TV writing, co-writing and directing three series of the hit RTE television series BACHELORS WALK, the most successful independently produced drama in the history of Irish television.
BACHELORS WALK was called "the Irish TV success story of the year" in 2002 by the Evening Herald.
John currently resides in Dublin and London.
主演 Glen Hansard 是爱尔兰乐队 The Frames 的创始人及主唱，06年和 Marketa Irglova 出了一张Solo,叫＂The Swell Season＂．
2008年，《Once》中Falling Slowly获得奥斯卡最佳歌曲奖。
