Bobby Sands film to premier at Cannes

[Block G Raptor]

Turner prize winning artist Steve McQueen's "Hunger" Premiers at the Cannes film festival this weekend. I've been looking forward to this since I first heard of it early last year. It was a film that was crying out to be made as the other 2 film's dealing with the 1981 Hungerstrikes(Some Mothers Son and H3) focused mainly on other figures involved (SMS actually creating fictional characters)
"Hunger" focuses on the last 6 weeks in the life of Vol Bobby Sands MP as he starved himself in protest at the criminalisation of Northern Irelands Political Prisoners. No matter what your political affiliations or your opinions on the IRA and its campaign of armed struggle I think anyone who is familiar with the story will agree that the strength shown by Sands and the 9 men who followed him on the agonizing path to death by starvation, their refusal to be labeled "Common Criminals" and their struggle to maintain their dearly held beliefs that they were freedom fighters and not terrorists is something that should be remembered and respected

I'm sure this movie will get a release here soon and I for one am really looking forward to it

[shakermaker1982]

I just hope it doesn't receive the same amount of vitriol by the British media as the wind that shakes the barley received. The Daily Hate/Mail got really excited about Ken Loach' movie and managed to take attention away from some of the fantastic performances contained within the film.

[John83]

I just hope it doesn't receive the same amount of vitriol by the British media as the wind that shakes the barley received. The Daily Hate/Mail got really excited about Ken Loach' movie and managed to take attention away from some of the fantastic performances contained within the film.

Just for fun, reviews published in the Daily Mail and the Irish Daily Mail should be compared.

[Block G Raptor]

UTV have already had a dig at it as IRA Propaganda: The 96-minute film is opening the official sidebar section, Un Certain Regard, but it has already drawn criticism from those who see it as a celebration of the martyrdom of an IRA prisoner.

[Billsthoughts]

UTV have already had a dig at it as IRA Propaganda: The 96-minute film is opening the official sidebar section, Un Certain Regard, but it has already drawn criticism from those who see it as a celebration of the martyrdom of an IRA prisoner.

That doesnt seem to be a dig at all. The hunger strikes were used for IRA propaganda. Obviously anyone of a Unionist persuasion isnt going to be queing up to watch it and you have to respect their point of view. I dont think a film about the Enniskillen/Warrington or Omagh bombings which painted the Irish as heartless murderers would be getting rave reviews down here. Personally like yourself I find the hunger strikes and that period of the troubles fascinating. And I also agree that these peoples sacrifice should be remembered and respected but can also see that this wouldnt be everyones point of view.

[Block G Raptor]

I think it was a subtle dig. It says that the movie has "Already drawn criticism" for its "Celebration of an IRA martyr" it doesn't state where it's drawn criticism from neither does it have any direct critical quotes, this leads me to believe that it's an indirect dig at it by the writer of the article. Also I disagree that the Hungerstrikers where "Used by the IRA" for propaganda purposes, certainly they brought the struggle to wider audience (for want of a better word) but it has been stated over and over that the IRA leadership was against a second Hungerstrike (following from the disastrous 1979/80 Hungerstrike where the Brits played brinkmanship and reneged on promises) also refusing to call a cessation of activity as they had for the first Hungerstrike.


taken from here. I think it's a quote from Tom Beresfords "10 Men Dead" probably the best book to come out of the troubles :
"A new hunger strike began on the 1 March 1981, exactly five years after the withdrawal of Special Category Status, led by IRA volunteer Bobby Sands. The IRA did not initiate or control the hunger strikes; it actually opposed the use of this strategy. The hunger strikes were initiated by the prisoners themselves, as a weapon of last resort. The IRA fully supported the hunger strike, however, once the action was initiated."
Sands actually wanted to commence his hungerstrike immediately after the collapse of the initial strike in December 1980 and badgered the Army Council until they finally relented in March 1981 but as is stated above refused to halt the "War". as the strike progressed it is fair to say that they saw the opportunity to advance the political facet of the movement eventually leading to Sands being elected to Westminister (the first Republican to stand in a British election) and Kieran Doherty being elected to the Dail. Many myself included would see the election of the Hungerstrikers as the Birth of the Political struggle which has brought N.I. to the stage that it is at now

[shakermaker1982]

4 stars in the guardian today. Reports that people gave it a standing ovation........others walked out. Not for the faint hearted by all accounts.

[paul_oshea]

the funniest thing is that these British papers report it as "ira propaganda" like the wind that shakes the barley, yet they are funded ( not wholly ) by British institutions/organisations, and have been written, produced and directed by British artists. I think its almost paradoxical, but it certainly makes me laugh, why would a British person make a film about "celebrating IRA martyrdom"?!

[cheifo]

Good point POS.
It was really comical to see Irish people like Ruth Dudley Edwards & Eoghan Harris deride Wind that shakes the Barley and Bloody Sunday film which of course were made by English people.
In a recent documentrary recalling the Hunger Strike it mentioned the fact that some Republicans felt the IRA leadership could have dome more to save the lives of the strikers.The best way to answer accusations of propaganda is too show not everyone invovled(including some of the family members of the men who died)
were satisfied with How the Republican leadership handled things.

[pete]

Hard to argue against the idea that IRA leaders used the hunger strikers for their own aims. How better to mobilise support for your cause than blame the Brits for starving men. I think the film would be better to keep to the individual story & ignore the wider political issues.

[Block G Raptor]

Sounds like it's gonna be pretty heavy stuff, judging by this review
It's about time that a film on the subject stripped away all the gloss that was in Some Mothers Son and to a lesser extent H3 and laid bare the conditions inside the maze and the suffering that the 10 men endured. from what I've read online Hunger really goes a long way towards doing just that

[paul_oshea]

the annoying part about the reviews is they say they wanted to be treated as political prisoners, but no mention of sands being a democratically elected MP.

[Block G Raptor]

Agreed. I've read several reviews (mostly from the British Media) and none have mentioned his status as MP. even this one from the Boston Herald which is much more sympathetic to the prisoners than the British ones fails to mention that he was MP

[jebus]

Looking forward to the movie, but a lot of the criticism the Daily ****rag Mail gave to The Wind That Shakes The Barley was to Ken Loach personally, the British right absolutely detest the man, the fact that they got to have a few cheap digs at the Irish was probably just the icing on the cake for that lot

[Sheridan]

The Wind That Shakes the Barley was a terrific film, possibly the best "Irish" film ever made. But the view of history it espoused was a load of ****** (the civil war was fought between reactionaries on the government side and Marxists on the Republican side, was it, Ken? If anything it was the other way around. In reality, neither side had any great vision of post-war equality as their respective political heirs have proven ever since.)

I don't admire Bobby Sands, personally, in fact I find his and his associates' fanaticism and revolutionary suicide pretty scary. I imagine any film on the subject would be rather harrowing.

[cheifo]

This film got a lot of praise from the panel on Newsnight review from Cannes on Friday night.
They all said it was uncomfortable viewing and drew attn to its unique structure.
Nothing is put into context until a 20 minute dialogue between Sands and a priest(Liam Cunningham);a scene which recieved a standing ovation on completion!

[Block G Raptor]

Hunger scooped the Camara D'or last night

[GavinZac]

Agreed. I've read several reviews (mostly from the British Media) and none have mentioned his status as MP. even this one from the Boston Herald which is much more sympathetic to the prisoners than the British ones fails to mention that he was MP

Perhaps to avoid spoiling the plot? He was elected MP during the hunger strike, wasn't he? I don't think anyone was voting for him for his electoral suitability.

[pete]

Seems to be more Art House than Multiplex.

[Dodge]

Seems to be more Art House than Multiplex.

You expecting Sands to be flinging sh*t around to a pop soundtrack Pete?