A NEW documentary about the 1983 IRA prisoners' escape from Long Kesh is set to screen in cinemas before being broadcast on the BBC early next year.
The feature-length documentary about how 38 republican prisoners escaped from one of Northern Ireland’s high security prisons, is set to receive a cinema release across the north following its premiere at the Belfast Media Festival. Combining rare archival material with first-hand testimony, the film includes interviews with escapees and former prison officers – many of them speaking publicly for the first time. It describes the tensions within the prison that led to the escape, the story of what happened on the day and the wider political and security situation that followed.
A still from the documentary
At the time the mass break-out was described as the largest escape in British penal history.
Prison Break: Escape from the Maze, produced by Walk on Air, will premiere at the MAC in Belfast on 10 November as part of Belfast Media Festival, before receiving two screenings at Queen’s Film Theatre on 11 and 12 November.
The film will subsequently be screened at Omniplex cinemas in Newry, Derry, Downpatrick, Craigavon and the Kennedy Centre in Belfast. It will then be broadcast on the BBC early next year.
Directed by Sian McIlwaine, the film is executive produced by Rachel Hooper and Jonathan Smith, with Adam Hagerty and Lena Ferguson as producers and Martha O'Kane as production executive. It is also funded by Northern Ireland Screen.
Sian McIlwaine, Director, Prison Break: Escape from the Maze, said: “The Maze Prison escape was a significant and controversial moment in the history of the Troubles, and its consequences are still being felt today. Through this documentary, we wanted to explore the events from all perspectives, giving a voice to people who were directly involved and affected, including those whose experiences have rarely been heard publicly. Their testimonies, alongside previously unseen material, offer new insights into an event that remains an important part of Northern Ireland's history.
Director Sian McIlwaine
“Bringing these accounts together has been a fascinating and, at times, challenging process. We hope the film will give audiences a deeper understanding of what happened, the people caught up in the events and the lasting impact of that day. It has been particularly important to allow those who were there to tell their stories in their own words.”
