Irish-based 'Ondine' director Neil Jordan said he made his upbeat movie with Colin Farrell about a fisherman and a mermaid to cheer Ireland up.

"They are so depressed here. It would drive you nuts. That's one of the reasons I wrote this movie because there are so many beautiful things about this country, particularly the landscape.

“It hasn't been entirely spoilt by this Celtic Tiger,” said the Oscar winning screenwriter for 'Crying Game.'

"Ireland is still a very beautiful mythical place."

He stated he was unaware of any romance between his two leading actors, Farrell and Aljyca Bachleda, who later had a child together.

"They were acting, pretending to fall in love. It turned out that way but I wasn't aware of it. To tell you the truth they got together many months later, but obviously there was an attraction there," he said.

Jordan stated he had written the film with Farrell in mind.

"I was writing this little story and I kept seeing him.

"I didn't tell him about it because I didn't know him that well, I knew him but I had never worked with him as a actor so when I finished it, I sent it to him. I didn't know if it was any good. But he said he loved it and wanted to do it."

Jordan added that 'Ondine' was an 'anti-Hollywood film.'