H-Block Hunger Strike

H-Block Hunger Strike

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Details

Location

Belfast, The Maze

Year

1981

Date

Length

33min 03sec

Audio

sound

Format

16mm

colour

Source

Courtesy

British Film Institute, Chris Reeves

Rights Holder

Chris Reeves

Description

An unflinching look at the experience of the 1980 H-Block hunger strikers and the potentially stark consequences of their actions.

Made to be used in the campaign for "political status for Irish prisoners of war" in the Maze (formerly Long Kesh) Prison, who began a hunger strike in October 1980. Watch interviews with former hunger strikers and see Bernadette Devlin McAliskey addressing a Belfast rally in support held on October 26th, 1980. Joe Maguire hopes his story can travel where he cannot, due to the Prevention of Terrorism Act. In the same year Section 11 of this Act is used to seize a BBC Panorama film of the IRA.
 

Notes

Additional interviewees include a spokeswoman for Relatives Action Committee, Tom Hartley (Chairperson, Belfast Sinn Fein) and the fathers of some of the hunger strikers. They relate in graphic detail the physical and emotional changes that their sons have undergone and their determination “to go on to death”. This material comes from the BFI collection. Information on Ireland also produced a series of pamphlets on the situation in Ireland including 'The British Media and Ireland' and 'They Shoot Children: the use of rubber and plastic bullets in the north of Ireland'.


Credits

Produced by Information on Ireland.

Directed by Chris Reeves

Interviewee: Tom Hartley, Kevin Hughes

Onscreen participant: Bernadette Devlin McAliskey

Music Performance: Christy Moore

Digitised as part of Unlocking Film Heritage


 

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