Colin Farrell Pushes Friend Emma In HBO Film

Colin Farrell will push his friend Emma Fogarty in her wheelchair for one kilometer for each decade she has lived with Epidermolysis Bullosa. The request marks her 40th birthday, and the effort is the subject of the HBO documentary The Slightest Touch.

The film's trailer released this week. It shows Farrell, 50, training by running through cities and coastlines in preparation for the Dublin marathon. Fogarty was not expected to live past one week at birth. 'Somehow, I've got to 40,' she says in the trailer.

The trailer also includes Farrell's 23-year-old son James, who was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome as a toddler. The Mayo Clinic describes Angelman syndrome as affecting approximately one in 12,000 to 15,000 people and disrupting the nervous system, causing challenges such as delayed speech and seizures. James's mother is American model Kim Bordenave. Farrell's other son, 17-year-old Henry Tadeusz Farrell, was born to Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curuś.

Farrell has kept cameras away from his home in the past. 'I've never had cameras anywhere near my home,' he says. For this project, he made an exception. The trailer includes footage of Farrell cradling James as the two laugh together. In another scene, Farrell closes his eyes and clicks his fingers while speaking about his motivation. 'It's for Emma, it's for Emma, it's for Emma,' he says.

Epidermolysis Bullosa causes blistering skin and deterioration with age. Fogarty's birthday wish required Farrell to cover a distance equal to the number of decades she has lived with the condition. The pair had previously joked about running a marathon together. Fogarty says of Farrell, 'He's got my back, I've got his.' Farrell says of his participation, 'The reason I'm here is the same reason you're here: it's for Emma.'

The Slightest Touch premiered at the London Film Festival. One review on Letterboxd called it 'deeply moving and life-affirming.' The documentary will begin streaming on HBO Max on Thursday, November 26.