At Home and Abroad

The Drummer and The Keeper

Nick Kelly, 2017 | 94mins

Featuring a touching plot highlighted by topical commentary on the nature of mental illness, The Drummer and the Keeper is the feature length debut for Irish musician-turned-director Nick Kelly. Gabriel, a teenage rock drummer with a rebellious and spunky streak, is frustrated when he is suddenly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Forced to seek treatment by his family and bandmates, Gabriel begins attending therapeutic soccer matches on the advice of his therapist. During one soccer match he strikes an unorthodox and tenuous friendship with Christopher, a neurotic but admirable goalkeeper with Asperger’s Syndrome. Although their relationship is antagonistic at first, before long, Gabriel and Christian form an unlikely bond that will change them forever.