A Gaslight Productions / Box TV Co-Production
RELEASED BY 4DVD Monday 16th April 2007
“McGovern made the image a servant of truth and justice." – Irish
Times
“I found it lacerating, it was tragic, it was powerful, it was analytic,
everything came together…it was deeply humane, deeply, deeply humane.” –
Tom Paulin, BBC 2 Newsnight Review
”Distressing, gripping, provocative …. with a palpable sense of terror and
confusion that remains to this day.” - The Daily Telegraph
"McGovern's effort provided more rounded portraits of characters and a
community, and more insight into the repercussions of the events of Bloody
Sunday” - The Guardian
Available to own on DVD for the first time ever, Jimmy McGovern’s award-winning
drama-documentary Sunday is released to mark the 35th anniversary of the
original report by the then Lord chief Justice, Lord Widgery, into the terrible
events of ‘Bloody Sunday’, when British Paratroopers shot dead thirteen unarmed
civilians, and wounded a further fifteen, during an illegal civil rights march
in Derry, Northern Ireland.
The new release features a wealth of exclusive DVD extras including commentary
with: the writer, Jimmy McGovern, director, Charles McDougall and the film’s
co-producer, Stephen Gargan. Bonus material also includes The Bloody Sunday
Debate, a live debate about the film and events, plus Witness Testimonies – some
4 hours of audio interviews with relatives of the victims and eye witness
accounts to the tragic events of ‘Bloody Sunday’.
Starring Christopher Eccleston (Hillsborough, The Others, Dr. Who), Ciaran McMenamin (The Young Persons Guide to Becoming a Rock Star),
Eva Birthistle ( A
Fond Kiss, Breakfast on Pulto), Brid Brennan (Topsy Turvy, Cracker) and
Oliver
Ford Davies (Mrs. Brown, Sense and Sensibility) Sunday examines the political
context for 'Bloody Sunday', as well as the impact of the first official
Government Inquiry into the day itself, conducted by Lord Widgery in 1972 and
published 35 years ago this week. (Tony Blair’s announcement in 1998 of a second
Inquiry (under Lord Saville) something unprecedented in British legal history,
is now not expected to report until 2008.)
The programme, made with the full consultation and co-operation of the families
affected by the tragedy, was researched over several years by an experienced
factual production team and originally broadcast by Channel 4 in January 2002.
More than a hundred first-hand interviews were conducted by the writer with:
British soldiers and officers, priests, politicians, former IRA members, medical
experts and eyewitnesses as well as relatives of the dead. A team of
investigative journalists also conducted painstaking background research for the
programme, and corroborated the factual basis of the drama-documentary
independently. Key scenes are based on evidence presented to both the Widgery
and Saville inquiries. Although there have been minor changes to chronology and
certain events have been dramatised to aid clarity, the film is based entirely
on fact
Beginning a few days before the planned Civil Rights March in the city
protesting against internment of British citizens, the locals are already
talking about the event. General Ford (Christopher Eccleston), the Commander of
Land Forces of the British Army in Northern Ireland, is seen dictating a memo
suggesting that the only way to curb rioting and violence in Derry is to 'shoot
selected ringleaders' of the Derry Young Hooligans (DYH). 27-year-old Leo Young
(Ciaran McMenamin) is innocently delivering coal with his brother John (Barry
Mullan). Within the space of 24 hours John will be dead, along with many other
young men from his community and Leo’s life will have changed forever.
For more detailed
information on ‘Sunday’ please visit:
www.sunday-film.net
Sunday DVD Details
Release date: 16th April 2007
Running time: 92 mins approx + 40 mins extras
Format: 1
disc
CERT: 15
Price: Ł19.99
Cat No: C4DVD10119
