The cinema release of the critically acclaimed Irish documentary Bobby Sands: 66 Days is going from strength to strength. Following an outstanding opening weekend where it became the second highest (non-concert) documentary opening of all-time at the Irish box office, it’s now heading into its third week of release where it will open in an additional 16 cinemas. This will bring the number of cinemas across the country showing the film to 41, making it one of the widest released documentaries in Irish cinema history.
Brendan J. Byrne’s critically acclaimed and controversial documentary which is a portrait of the Irish Republican’s 66-day hunger strike has garnered much publicity and debate on both sides of the border.
East Derry’s Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has welcomed the news that the film is opening in more cinemas saying “It is important that as wide an audience as possible has the opportunity to see this important contribution to a better understanding our recent past.”
At 17, Bobby Sands was interested in girls, soccer and music. Ten years later he led a prison protest against the conditions in Northern Ireland’s infamous H-Blocks that grabbed the attention of the whole world. Seeing himself as a soldier in a conflict, Bobby Sands starved for the right to be recognised as a political prisoner. The film’s narrative is comprised of Sands’ own words, drawn from his hunger strike diary, which gives a powerful and personal insight into the man and his beliefs as he embarked on his final journey.
Bobby Sands: 66 Days will open in an additional 16 cinemas from this Friday.
Here’s a list of all the cinemas it will be showing:
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
NORTHERN IRELAND