'' Words Upon the Window Pane '' is a 1994 Irish drama film directed by Mary McGuckian and starring Geraldine Chaplin , Ian Richardson , and Jim Sheridan . McGuckian directorial debut , it is based on William Butler Yeats ' one-act play of the same name . Pat O'Connor was billed to direct the project but he personally offered McGuckian , who was writing the screenplay at the time , the opportunity to also direct . The film received its US premiere on 10 June 1994 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as part of the largest retrospective of Irish film ever shown outside Ireland . In September that year , the film was screened at the 51st Venice International Film Festival
51st Venice International Film Festival
51st Venice International Film Festival
Words Upon the Window Pane