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Collin Farrell’s son James is seen cuddling the actor during the trailer for the upcoming documentary, The Slightest Touch.
The Penguin star, 50, has two sons – 23-year-old James whom he shares with American model Kim Bordenave and 17-year-old Henry Tadeusz Farrell, whose mother is Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curuś.
James, 23, was diagnosed with the rare neurological disease Angelman syndrome when he was a toddler.
Angelman syndrome affects approximately one in 12,000 to 15,000 people, disrupting the nervous system and causing severe physical and intellectual challenges such as delayed speech and seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The pair appear together in the upcoming HBO film which released its trailer this week, showing a tender moment when the In Bruges actor cradles his boy as they laugh like no one’s watching.
‘I’ve never had cameras anywhere near my home,’ says Colin, but for a remarkable cause, he’s made an exception.
The Slightest Touch follows Colin as he trains for the Dublin marathon – only he won’t be doing it alone.
His friend Emma Fogarty is turning 40, and her birthday wish is that Colin pushes her in her wheelchair a kilometre for every decade of her life that she’s lived with Epidermolysis Bullosa so far, a condition which causes blistering skin and deterioration with age.
At birth, she wasn’t expected to live a week. ‘Somehow, I’ve got to 40,’ she says.
Colin once joked they should run a marathon together, and years later Emma is holding him to his word.
Together, they plan on to embark on a magical journey of resilience, friendship and might which will be the focus of the gut-wrenching HBO Max feature.
‘The reason I’m here is the same reason you’re here – it’s for Emma,’ he says.
The trailer shows Colin in training, running through cities coastlines and wherever he canto squeeze in preparation.
‘It’s just those three words,’ he says, closing his eyes and clicking his fingers. ‘It’s for Emma, it’s for Emma, it’s for Emma.’
‘This could be every bad for her but it means a lot to her.
‘She doesn’t deserve the pain afterwards but she does deserve the experience and you can’t have one without the other.’
‘He’s got my back, I’ve got his,’ Emma assures.
A synopsis for the film reads: ‘Emma Fogarty has spent her life defying expectations. Born with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), an extremely rare and devastating condition that causes her skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch, Emma refuses to be defined by her disease.
‘Instead, she has built a life marked by resilience, purpose, and an unwavering determination to live on her own terms.’
The film premiered at the London Film Festival and has already received glowing reviews.
‘Incredibly honest and informative and really puts things into perspective. Also, Colin Farrell seems like the soundest person going?’ was included in one review on Letterboxd, while another called it ‘deeply moving and life-affirming’.
The Slightest Touch will be available to stream on HBO Max from Thursday November 26.