Documentary which examines the life of the architect of the Good Friday Agreement, Senator George Mitchell, features Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern
‘THE Negotiator’ the new feature documentary on Senator George Mitchell is set for its gala screening in Belfast this evening as part of the opening of the Docs Ireland 2025 film festival.
The Negotiator, developed in association with Queen’s University, follows journalist and filmmaker Trevor Birney as he profiles US Senator George Mitchell, whose role in the Good Friday Agreement thirty years ago, changed the lives of an entire generation in the north of Ireland.
This timely, contemporary and deeply personal film poses provocative questions about positive United States engagement with the wider world and how Senator Mitchell – with his inexhaustible patience – turned the apparently impossible into the possible.
Filmed in Maine, Washington DC and Northern Ireland, the film explores Mitchell’s journey from a working-class boy in Maine to one of America’s most respected political negotiators. The documentary was produced by Stephen Douds and Andrew Tully.
Contributors to the documentary include former United States President Bill Clinton who said of Senator Mitchell: “He was an incredibly gifted, brilliant, ferociously determined man from a quite straightforward and simple background. He had this uncanny ability to make us all want to be straight with each other, not continue to waste time and posture.”
Trevor Birney
Former Speaker of the US Congress, Nancy Pelosi said: “I wanted him (Senator Mitchell) to run for President…I think he would have been a great President of the United States. He has a beautiful vision for our country… it was so apparent that he would be so great.”
Frank Ryan, a US-based lawyer with whom Senator Mitchell worked in the US says of Senator Mitchell’s skillset in negotiations: “He’s probably more relevant today than he’s ever been. He was saying these things and writing these things about collaboration and unity, compromise for many years. What he was saying then is probably more important in the United States and around the world than it’s ever been.”
Producer of the BAFTA winning, Kneecap and Emmy-nominated founder of Fine Point Films, Trevor Birney, Director of The Negotiator said on the making of the documentary: “Many of us primarily view Senator Mitchell as the architect of the Good Friday Agreement but know little about the man himself, despite his prominent career as a lawyer, business leader and politician in the US before ever setting foot in Belfast.
“As a journalist, I covered the protracted negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement and was in the Kings Hall on the day of the referendum, reporting on the momentous days that followed.
“Almost 30 years on, it felt right to examine the process that led to Senator Mitchell chairing talks with political opposites in what felt like an intractable situation. What has become clear in that time is that he is a unique individual, there have not been many like him since 1998.
“We now live in a world riven with conflict and those with the skill and ability to bring about enduring political settlements in places experiencing ongoing problems are few and far between. The documentary shows just how special Senator Mitchell is and is a record of the immense contribution that he made here. We could use a few more like him right now.”
George Mitchell
Michele Devlin, Docs Ireland added: “We are thrilled to have the gala screening of The Negotiator as part of Docs Ireland this year. It is such an important, archive rich film about this place, made by brilliant local talent who are amongst some of our most internationally acclaimed filmmakers.
“Trevor Birney and Fine Point Films have long been supporters of Docs Ireland and it’s brilliant we can feature this film which examines the transformational impact Senator Mitchell had on the peace process.”
Broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan will host a post screening in-person interview with Senator Mitchell and Director, Trevor Birney. Over 200 guests are expected to attend the screening at Cineworld in Belfast this evening.
