David Merriman (born 4 September 1975) is a musician and filmmaker from Dublin, Ireland. He is known for his films The State of Being Human (2015) and Re-Creation (2024).

Early life

Merriman was born 4 September 1975.^{[ citation needed]} As a child, he lived in Alabama for five years. ^[1] At age 16, Merriman focused on developing his skill as a singer under the guidance of his uncle, Frank Merriman. ^[2]

Career

Merriman began his career as a musician in the band Exit with his brothers. They moved to Los Angeles but were unable to secure a record deal as a band, though Merriman was offered deals as a solo musician, which he declined. After the band split, Merriman and his brother Judah formed another band and toured the United States for 15 years. ^[2]

After returning to Ireland in 2012, Merriman competed on The Voice of Ireland series 2. ^{[2] [3]}

in 2015, Merriman released The State of Being Human, a film that explores the nature of homophobia. For the film, he interviewed approximately 16 people, including Irish drag queen Panti Bliss and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore. ^[1]

Following The State of Being Human, Merriman began working on the short film Popsy based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King. ^[1] The 10-minute film was released in 2016. ^[4]

In 2021, Merriman directed the film Rock Against Homelessness, a filmed concert that streamed on "Virgin Media Player for 90 days in an effort to boost donations to homelessness charity Focus Ireland". ^[5]

While working on Rock Against Homelessness, Merriman met and befriended Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan, and the two began collaborating. Together, they wrote and directed the feature Re-Creation, which focuses on the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in December 1996. ^{[6] [7]} The film stars Vicky Krieps (as Sophie), Colm Meaney, Aidan Gilles and John Connors. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

Sheridan and Merriman continued their collaboration by writing the feature Kerry Babies, which is schedule for release in 2025. The film is based on the real-life events of Kerry woman Joanne Hayes, who was falsely accused of murder in 1985. ^{[11] [12]}

Personal life

After living in the United States, Merriman returned to Ireland circa 2012, settling in Portmarnock with his wife and four children. ^[2] His wife is from northern Alabama. ^[1]

References