麻豆约拍

26-year-old, Proinsias O'Coinn, has spent most of his life thinking that something is wrong with him.

Ever since he was a teenager, he's been trying to find a song, a film, a poem 'any' piece of art which has the power to make him cry.

When friends would be moved to tears by a weepy film or a sad song, Proinsias would look on in envy, wishing it could happen to him. You see in his head, being able to cry at a piece of art would let him engage with it and appreciate it like everyone else.

He's come close on a few occasions. Like when Jean Grey kills Professor X in X-Men 3 - or when listening to the Adele song 'One and Only'. But it's the sheer joy at these moments - that this could be it, this could be the time he's finally able to cry - that actually stops the tears from coming.

It's like the sneeze that comes tantalisingly close but just never happens.

So Proinsias is on a mission to finally find a piece of art that can make him cry. But as he embarks on this very personal challenge, he finds himself facing up to much bigger questions about himself and who he is.

Producer: Conor Garrett

First broadcast on 麻豆约拍 Radio 4 in August 2015.