Union's Marco Perez Edits Doc for Cannes Grand Prix Winning Heineken Campaign
Heineken’s documentary The Pub That Refused To Die - created by Le Pub Milan, directed by Gar O’Rourke of Antidote Films, and edited by Marco Perez, Partner and Editor at Union Editorial - was part of a campaign that took home multiple honors at the 73rd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The campaign won the Creative Strategy Grand Prix and four Bronze Lions (Entertainment, which pertains to the documentary, along with PR, Direct, and Creative B2B). Le Pub Milan was named this year’s Agency of the Year, and Heineken was honored with the Creative Brand of the Year accolade for the first time in its history,
The Pub That Refused To Die tells the remarkable true story of 26 residents in the Irish village of Kilteely who banded together to save their last remaining pub.
The film - which premiered February 28 at the 2026 Dublin International Film Festival and launched globally March 2 - chronicles how the small County Limerick village, population 214, rallied when longtime publican Noreen Ahern could no longer keep Aherns Pub open after decades of running it. Rather than lose the final gathering place in their town, a group of locals including a barrister, dairy farmer, carpenter, and gardener pooled their resources to buy the pub and reopen it as The Street Bar, preserving the social heart of their community.
The result is a cinematic narrative that balances humor, humanity, and quiet heroism, capturing how an unlikely group of first-time publicans came together to save a cultural cornerstone.
"Obviously, I'm incredibly proud to have contributed to something that achieved this level of success,” said Perez. “I'm grateful to the entire team at Le Pub for trusting me with this project and giving me the creative freedom to find its rhythm, and to Laconic Milan for their support throughout the editorial process. It's gratifying to be part of a campaign that has been recognized in such a meaningful way.” What makes the documentary special, though, goes beyond the award. “It is inspiring communities across Ireland and resonating with audiences around the world. The hope is that its story encourages other communities to imagine what's possible for their own local pubs,” he said. “Seeing how deeply it resonates with people, and how it leaves them feeling both inspired and empowered to take action, is the real achievement."
Perez recently completed new work for American Family Insurance, Lexus with Spanish director Alan Masferrer, and collaborated for the first time with acclaimed filmmaker Bruno Aveillan on a project for AYVAKIT. Perez is currently editing Trafalgar, the first major international feature from emerging French-British filmmaker Liam Hellmann. Now in post-production, the film stars acclaimed French actress Fanny Ardant alongside Danny Huston, Michael Pitt, and Élodie Bouchez, bringing together an accomplished international cast for Hellmann's feature debut.
