The Research and Production Process 

Sunday was initiated five years ago, in 1997, when Stephen Gargan and Jim Keys, members of the Bloody Sunday Organising Committee invited Jimmy McGovern to Derry. Following his visit, in January 1998, Jimmy decided he wanted to write about the events of Bloody Sunday. 

Development 

Stephen Gargan and Jim Keys formed Gaslight Productions with Tony Doherty, son of Patrick Doherty who was killed on Bloody Sunday, to develop the project. Tony was asked to facilitate the initial contacts with the families of those killed. The informed consent of the families was both fundamental and essential to the project going ahead. To aid this process Gargan and McGovern screened 'Hillsborough' for the Bloody Sunday relatives. After a number of meetings the families agreed that the project should move forward. 

Research 

In late 1998 over a period of three months Stephen Gargan consulted widely with all the relatives of the dead, the surviving wounded and the families of those of the wounded who had since died. Each family was asked to nominate a family representative who would then agree to be interviewed about their particular loved one. Then in February 1999 McGovern and Gargan embarked upon an extensive interview based process. Over the next two years they interviewed all the families of the dead, all bar three of the surviving wounded and many other eyewitnesses, including former priests, medical staff and former members of the IRA. From this research emerged the story of Leo and Maura Young and their brother John, killed on the march. Not only was their story powerful in its own right, it also touched on so many of the other tragedies that day. It became the central story, although Jimmy also wanted to incorporate elements of many other families stories into the film. 

In tandem with this process Jimmy also conducted interviews with a number of Paratroopers who were present in Derry on Bloody Sunday. These interviews were facilitated by Lena Ferguson, a former producer with Channel Four Television and now political editor with BBC Northern Ireland. Lena Ferguson produced several revelatory reports on the subject for Channel 4 News which were significant in adding support to the call for a new inquiry.

Factual producer Katy Jones oversaw further research and corroboration of the drama documentary, leading a team of investigative journalists that conducted numerous interviews with former military and political figures. These included British Army commanding officers, a large number of former soldiers from different regiments of the British Army, and former members of the Parachute regiment. 

The whole team also thoroughly researched the extensive body of written, audio-visual and photographic evidence about Bloody Sunday - including the transcripts of the Widgery Inquiry, submissions to the Saville Inquiry, including: statements, forensic reports and a large number of government documents which have come to light due to the ongoing work of the inquiry. 

There is much contradictory evidence that has emerged about Bloody Sunday. For each event on the march a range of sources were considered and weighed in deciding how it would be portrayed. For example, the film portrays the soldiers as shooting first. The weight of current eyewitness evidence allied to the contradictory evidence from the soldiers strongly suggests this is the case. (See factual background) 

Production 

During filming, some license had to be taken in order to compress events into a feature length drama, but great effort was invested in assuring the accuracy of the portrayal of Derry at that time. The production spent three weeks in Derry and most of the film was shot there. 

Barrier 14, William Street, Derry - recreated at its original location

Key locations, such as the Presbyterian Church in Great James Street, where the Paras where located prior to their entry into the Bogside were actually used in the film. The iconic image of Father Daly, waving a white handkerchief, leading a group carrying the body of Jackie Duddy in Chamberlain Street was filmed in Chamberlain Street in Derry. 

The physical geography of the Bogside has altered considerably since 1972 so many key scenes had to be recreated. The Paras entry into the Bogside and the actual reconstruction of the shootings were filmed in Manchester. Production designer, Stephen Fineran, created a detailed set, which represented Derry's Rossville Street, Kells Walk, the façade of block 1 of the Rossville flats and Glenfada Park.

Low Wall at Kells Walk, Rossville Street recreated in Manchester's Grey Mare Lane

Rear of Block 1 Rossville Flats, recreated in Manchester's Grey Mare Lane

Fineran went to great lengths to reproduce the scene accurately, working from maps, photographs, video footage and his team even took detailed measurements of the buildings that remain in Glenfada Park (Derry) today.