Northern Ireland - photos of the "troubles"

[PanFrank]

Hi,
I just finished watching this excellent documentary on the French/German cultural channel ARTE: https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/080946-000-A/nordirland-fotos-die-geschichte-schrieben/
Possibly this is originally BBC or so and somebody could find it.
Best, Frank

[Michael]

It was made by RTÉ and its English title is "Shooting the darkness". It was broadcast at the end of January and seems no longer to be on the RTÉ player, I'm afraid.

[PanFrank]

Thank you very much for this information, Michael. Indeed, RTÉ player does not have it any longer. Here is more about the documentary: https://www.thejournal.ie/northern-ireland-photographers-troubles-shooting-the-darkness-4465131-Jan2019/
The ARTE link will work until March 27th. You actually can here some of the English and the whole story works well without sound as well. It's really very good and worth watching.
Frank

[Michael]

Frank, I'm afraid the link didn't give me an uninterrupted experience; but I live in the north of Ireland and can wait for the documentary to be broadcast again.

As I was only too close to some of the events described in the documentary, I have mixed feelings about seeing it all again; and the ridiculous current political situation in the UK would also affect my approach to it.

[John King]

I echo the comments by Michael above. Not that I lived there permanently, but was there with the Army for 30 months and the bias towards what in truth were terrorists makes for dubious entertainment.

[PanFrank]

I very well understand you both. I learned about the civil war in my teens during the 80s. I vaguely knew it was very bad, but not how hellishly it really was in every day life for decades. Just to say: this is a documentary about the press photography at these times told by the photographers themselves. It is certainly no entertainment at all. I would not recommend it in general. I would know that my wife, who does not know much about it, would not sleep well for some nights after having seen the pictures.

[Michael]

Bias? I managed to run the first 15 minutes and certainly saw no bias. It is photographers discussing their work, with a small amount of dispassionate comment from other journalists. Stanley Matchett is particularly good on the Bloody Sunday events as he saw them.

I left the video alone for long enough to let it buffer and I think I'll watch it all now.

[Michael]

Just finished it. Absolutely first-rate. Thank you, Frank.

[MikeHeller]

Thanks for posting. It is very much a 'must see' and sobering documentary.
Mike

[JimW]

Just watched it. Was thinking a little of Don McCullin when the photographers were talking about how much they were affected by the atrocities (committed by all sides). They might try to be dispassionate observers, but humanity kicks in - even photographing the events hurts.
Thanks very much for posting.