Bobby Sands movie set for UK release
Thursday, 18 September 2008
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An award-winning controversial film about the last days of republican hunger striker Bobby Sands is to be shown at this year's London Film Festival.
Hunger, directed by Steve McQueen, will premiere in London before going on general release at the end of October.
The movie has earned McQueen the prestigious Camera d’or at Cannes and the Gucci Group Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Despite its controversial subject, cinema insiders believe the film’s art house style may prevent it becoming a target for protest.
Michael McAdam, managing director of Moviehouse Cinemas said: “I don't know how it will be received.
“I had some concerns about it, more so than any other film, because we are stable with the peace process and I was worried someone would try to hi-jack this film to make a point.”
Mr McAdam said he was aware that a section of the community might not be happy to see Hunger in cinemas here.
He said: “There are some people who think that things should be left alone but as a man who shows films for a living you have to take a stand. I am not here to be a censor.”
He is confident, however, it will be well attended. He said: “The thing is, it is outlining a part of Northern Irish history and my experience has been that any movies about Northern Ireland are very well attended.
“Like Some Mother's Son, and In The Name of The Father, the initial few days are when people of that political persuasion will go and then people who are just interested start going.”
The London Film Festival starts on October 15 and this year has a political and historic focus. Alongside Hunger there will be two films about American presidents; Frost/Nixon, about the famous David Frost interviews with Richard Nixon from Ron Howard and Oliver Stone’s W about the current White House incumbent.
A host of blockbusters are to be shown at the festival. Most notably, the latest 007 film will be screened on October 29.
According to Mr McAdam, this is set to be one of the biggest draws of the autumn, particularly following the success of Casino Royale.
Mr McAdam also offered tips to Northern Irish audiences.
He said: “If you like being terrified then Mirrors with Kiefer Sutherland and the Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood should be very good.”
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I just saw the film at the NY film festival and it doesn't really focus on the troubles as a whole but one the one event. It's an extraordinarily powerful movie and apart from one scene in the middle where Sands is talking to a priest, almost entirely visual. If you know the background of the story, you may choose to read into it what you will, but if you take the event alone, the issue of what a man is willing to do whether from passionate love of a cause or passionate hatred is remarkable.
I would suggest that you let it have its own context, difficult though that may be.
Posted by Jane | 01.10.08, 17:44 GMT
This terriost has had a film made after him so what im sure it will be from a one sided view anyway and higlight the ''cause'' and ''struggle'' to try and give a reason for all the countless murders of women and childern by the IRA.
Bobby and the hunger strikers was the strike worth while if they know could see what ulster would be like 20 odd years on and what little they achieved would they take the same course of action??
Posted by Matt | 22.09.08, 17:59 GMT
If any of you knew what you were you chatting about your comments would warrant a response, but in this case they dont.
Gary, murders and massacres, was done on both sides, dont forget there was alot of retaliation.Yes the british community are 'bad', in the sense that they had no disregard for human life, after all 'this land is our land'. To the future things may change but the past never will, and we are proud of it.
I believe the film will be great, well done to all who were involved, it will give all an insight as to what times were like and the desperate measures that had to be taken to be heard.
Posted by x | 19.09.08, 14:21 GMT
To Gary
I think you've missed the point the 1st person is trying to say. As he pointed out, its a film. Making it, or watching it is not going to change what happened in the past. As much as you try, you can't sensor people's point of view or desire to see a film, therefore grow up and deal with the fact people might have a different point of view or perspective on life from your good self.
Posted by Alistair | 18.09.08, 15:50 GMT
God, you people are idiots. I hate this place! Just reading these idiotic comments it is clear that this place will never change. Full of opinionated morons and bigots.
Posted by F | 18.09.08, 14:57 GMT
steve douglas... Osama bin laden in his actions has shown a total disreguard for life. Bobby Sands on the other had new the value of his and by willingly giving it up for what he believed in speaks volumes of the man! he will go down in history as a true hero to irish republicans.
Posted by stevie82 | 18.09.08, 14:12 GMT
Strange that some many have an opinion on a film that none of them have seen yet!!
History is not always pretty. Get over it.
Posted by terry | 18.09.08, 14:08 GMT
Next they will be making a movie about another terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
Posted by Steve Douglas | 18.09.08, 13:50 GMT
Why would people take offense to history? You may not like or understand it, but Bobby Sands did die of hunger. Whether it was right or wrong, it is actual fact. It did happen.
The dilemma with these types of movies is that people outside of Ireland get a different slant of what actually happened and the people in Ireland, depending on what side you are on, take a bias view.
If the movie is depicted in its reality, then it should be shown and people can form their own opinion.
Posted by Earl | 18.09.08, 13:36 GMT
"Grow up and deal with it"
maybe you could go up to victims of IRA murders and massacres and say the same thing?
They obviously don't matter to you
Posted by Gary | 18.09.08, 12:21 GMT
wonder will Rose McGowan watch it and think to herself yes I would have gone on hunger strike if I'd joined the IRA!
Posted by Frank | 18.09.08, 12:12 GMT
As a Unionist, i'm sure, this movie will be anti everything i believe in but thats the well oiled machine of republicianism & associated movies. Its a movie at the end of the day & i'll have to deal with it, as Loyalists in the H-Blocks said at the time they had grudingly respect for the hunger strikers, to starve yourself to death for your beliefs has to be something that these guys really believed in - even though i still view them as terrorists. We, as the pro-British community still will be treated as the bad guys.
Posted by Steve | 18.09.08, 10:46 GMT
It will be interesting to see whether this will tell the full truth or concentrate on the myth? Will it show how little Sinn Fein/IRA valued human life that they were happy to let the likes of Sands die for political gain even though they had already been offered the deal they would later accept or will it be the typical Hollywood nonsense of the 'oppressed' good, the Brits bad?
Posted by Ian | 18.09.08, 09:49 GMT
If people from different religious backgrounds watch films like this, we might just begin to understand how other people felt during those terrible days.
Posted by Dan | 18.09.08, 09:33 GMT
It's a film! What can be people be afraid of? No one is forcing people to watch it, just as no one has the right to restrict people's opportunity to see it. Grow up and deal with it.
Posted by Gerard | 18.09.08, 08:42 GMT