Bloody Sunday, which dramatises the 1972 shootings in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, has won the best world cinema award at the Sundance Film Festival. The jury at the showcase of independent filmmaking, which included actress Patricia Arquette and Serial Mom director John Waters, praised the Paul Greengrass directed film starring James Nesbitt as groundbreaking work.
Cold Feet actor James plays Ivan Cooper, a Protestant MP with a predominantly Catholic electorate who became a founder member of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party. The film, which had its West End screening on Sunday, was celebrated at Sundance for its effective storytelling through the use of hand-held cameras, which gives it a documentary feel.
Another Sundance prize-winning film is Personal Velocity, a drama about the lives of three women, which won the grand jury trophy for best feature film. The low budget piece stars Phenomenon’s Kyra Sedgwick, Best In Show actress Parker Posey and American History X star Fairuza Balk. Director Rebecca Miller is no stranger to Sundance awards – in 1995 she won festival’s filmmakers trophy and cinematography award for her first film, Angela.
Daughter From Danang about a Vietnamese refugee, took the gong for best documentary.
Bloody Sunday, which goes on general cinema release on February 1, shares the world cinema award honour with The Last Kiss, a widely-acclaimed Italian film about romance and relationships.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
