BobbySands Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for Hunger, the intense drama from prize-winning British artist turned director Steve McQueen. Michael Fassbender stars as Bobby Sands, a controversial IRA member who was imprisoned in the infamous H-block of Belfast's Maze Prison. Sands made headlines worldwide in 1981 when he refused to eat until the British government acknowledged the IRA as a legitimate political organization. I can remember following the story day by day as it happened, so I'm quite interested in seeing Hunger, though it doesn't sound like an easy viewing experience.

The reviews have been very positive. When the film debuted at Cannes last year, Kim Voynar wrote: "It's a cinema verite approach to viewing human dignity in the face of unimaginable indignities, a grim statement about what happens when differences of opinion in social and political matters lead men to treat other men with horrific cruelty. ... It's a brilliant portrayal of a tragic moment in human history."

Hunger arrives in theaters on March 20. Click on the image below to view the poster in full, unflinching detail.

IFC Films has acquired yet another hot Cannes title. British director Steve McQueen's Hunger has impressed a number of critics, including our own Kim Voynar, who called it "a brilliant portrayal of a tragic moment in human history." The short article on the acquisition by Anne Thompson in Variety does not reveal what distribution plans IFC may have in mind.

Michael Fassbender portrays Bobby Sands, an IRA volunteer who led a long hunger strike in 1981 while he was imprisoned on gun charges by British authorities. (More information is available at Wikipedia or the search engine of your choice.) The case stirred up a considerable amount of controversy; I remember visiting New York City at the time and being besieged by daily headlines in the Post and Daily News screaming about one side or the other.

Kim notes that the film doesn't "address the circumstances that led to these men being incarcerated" but commented in response to a reader: "I don't believe we achieve greater humanity by sinking to crass brutality in our treatment of others, regardless of how they might have wronged us ... Nonetheless, I tried to keep the focus of my review on its artistic merits, and in that respect, it's a brilliant film." I hope IFC makes Hunger as widely available as possible -- it sounds like an incredibly timely subject.