OMAGH FILM SCOOPS TOP IRISH ACCOLADE
Omagh film scoops top Irish accolade
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
THE FILM Omagh swept the floorboards at the Irish Film and Television Awards held in Dublin at the weekend - making it four awards in a row.
The film picked up two awards -one for its star Gerard McSorley who won Best Actor and one for the film which won the Best Irish Film category.
Omagh-born Gerard McSorley played the key role of Michael Gallagher and he was thrilled to win the Best Actor for his role. He dedicated the award to the families who had faced adversity with "courage, dignity and restraint".
"It's about them and that's the reason why it was made. We were very tentative and sensitive to that because the film would never have been made without the approval of the families" he said.
Speaking to the UIsterHerald following the ceremony, a delighted Gerard said the film was tough to do but it helped the local campaigners to keep Omagh in the public eye.
IMPACT
He said the film is really having an impact right across the globe. "At Toronto it won the Discovery Award which is a major achievement given the status of the Toronto Film Festival. It also grabbed the attention of Sony and another American company HBO, which has bought the film rights for release in America".
"At San Sebastian it won the Writers Award which is a great boost for the writers, Guy Hibbert and Paul Greengrass."
Gerard said he is amazed at reaction to the film. "No matter where I go or what magazine I read, the film is getting rave reviews and these awards are endorsement of all of that".
He said Michael Gallagher and Stanley McCombe had been in Flanders and watched the film along with the entire Belgian Parliament who turned out to watch the film at a recent festival. "That's the sort of recognition it is achieving for the families and that is great" he said.
Gerard grew up in Bridge Street in Omagh where his father had a bicycle shop. He has fondest memories of his childhood and teenage years in his 'beloved Omagh'.
"I therefore could have had no greater pride than being asked to do the Omagh film," he said.
Gerard was able to feel great empathy for Michael Gallagher who lost his son in the bomb, as Gerard's son Peter died six years ago and like Aiden he was 21.
"Some people thought I was mad to undertake such a film given Peter's death, but I wanted to do it. I found I was able to draw on my professional expertise in acting to stop it becoming too emotional for me," said Gerard.
The actor is looking forward to bringing the award to Omagh in the coming week to show it to the Omagh families.
At the Burlington Hotel last Friday night, producer of Omagh, Ed Guiney also dedicated the award to the families of the 31 victims and the hundreds injured on that awful day in August 1998.
Mr Guiney said, "It's gratifying for the families and also the cast and crew of Omagh that we should win this award.
"It was very much a film made with the families over a two-year period. The biggest day for us was the showing the film to the families and they, I think, liked it a lot. We're delighted".
Mr Guiney said the Omagh film had shown the personal story behind the tragedies which were often ignored by fast moving TV news.
"We all remember the Omagh bombing. It was one of those big moments for our generation, like the Kennedy assassination. But we tried to communicate the personal stories before and after the event. Those personal stories are often lost," he said.
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
THE FILM Omagh swept the floorboards at the Irish Film and Television Awards held in Dublin at the weekend - making it four awards in a row.
The film picked up two awards -one for its star Gerard McSorley who won Best Actor and one for the film which won the Best Irish Film category.
Omagh-born Gerard McSorley played the key role of Michael Gallagher and he was thrilled to win the Best Actor for his role. He dedicated the award to the families who had faced adversity with "courage, dignity and restraint".
"It's about them and that's the reason why it was made. We were very tentative and sensitive to that because the film would never have been made without the approval of the families" he said.
Speaking to the UIsterHerald following the ceremony, a delighted Gerard said the film was tough to do but it helped the local campaigners to keep Omagh in the public eye.
IMPACT
He said the film is really having an impact right across the globe. "At Toronto it won the Discovery Award which is a major achievement given the status of the Toronto Film Festival. It also grabbed the attention of Sony and another American company HBO, which has bought the film rights for release in America".
"At San Sebastian it won the Writers Award which is a great boost for the writers, Guy Hibbert and Paul Greengrass."
Gerard said he is amazed at reaction to the film. "No matter where I go or what magazine I read, the film is getting rave reviews and these awards are endorsement of all of that".
He said Michael Gallagher and Stanley McCombe had been in Flanders and watched the film along with the entire Belgian Parliament who turned out to watch the film at a recent festival. "That's the sort of recognition it is achieving for the families and that is great" he said.
Gerard grew up in Bridge Street in Omagh where his father had a bicycle shop. He has fondest memories of his childhood and teenage years in his 'beloved Omagh'.
"I therefore could have had no greater pride than being asked to do the Omagh film," he said.
Gerard was able to feel great empathy for Michael Gallagher who lost his son in the bomb, as Gerard's son Peter died six years ago and like Aiden he was 21.
"Some people thought I was mad to undertake such a film given Peter's death, but I wanted to do it. I found I was able to draw on my professional expertise in acting to stop it becoming too emotional for me," said Gerard.
The actor is looking forward to bringing the award to Omagh in the coming week to show it to the Omagh families.
At the Burlington Hotel last Friday night, producer of Omagh, Ed Guiney also dedicated the award to the families of the 31 victims and the hundreds injured on that awful day in August 1998.
Mr Guiney said, "It's gratifying for the families and also the cast and crew of Omagh that we should win this award.
"It was very much a film made with the families over a two-year period. The biggest day for us was the showing the film to the families and they, I think, liked it a lot. We're delighted".
Mr Guiney said the Omagh film had shown the personal story behind the tragedies which were often ignored by fast moving TV news.
"We all remember the Omagh bombing. It was one of those big moments for our generation, like the Kennedy assassination. But we tried to communicate the personal stories before and after the event. Those personal stories are often lost," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1791
Published Date: 04-Nov-04
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