Interview with Sean Murray of Unquiet Graves

Today I interviewed Sean Murray, the director of Unquiet Graves.

This is a groundbreaking documentary on the activities of the notorious Glennane Gang.

 

I put the following questions to him, and these are his replies:

Why did you do the film?

 I always had an interest in producing an overarching story on British state collusion. There are, of course, many instances of such acts, but the Glenanne series of killings of over 120 civilians was a story I felt could pierce the public conscience. We are dealing with families who have been vilified and marginalised by successive governments, both north and south, so I wanted to create a piece of work that could be a powerful conduit for their voices.

 What were the problems you faced in making the film? 

Firstly, they were financial. It’s very difficult to have a film of this nature funded by any of the main broadcasters, so we were pragmatic in not scheduling a completion for the film but setting the task out of raising funds independently through the families and private donors. It is one of the only films of its kind that is victim-centred and funded solely by victims, survivors and their advocates. Many people worked for free on the film, including myself, so we didn’t have the luxury of scheduling as we normally would have liked, it had to be fitted around who was available.

 When was the film in the can? 

We wrapped filming up in May 2018 before screening privately to family members in Tyrone and Dublin. These were both very emotional affairs, and it gave me great joy that the families gave their blessing on both occasions.

 

Was it due to screen last year on RTE?

It was due to broadcast in August last year, but as of yet, we don’t know the reasons for the postponement. I have to add that in the time in between there was tireless work going on behind the scenes by some in RTÉ to resolve the issue and I want to thank them for their perseverance.

 

What has been the response to the screening on RTE this week?

 The response has been phenomenal. Social media can be a cesspit at times, but in the event of mainstream media deflecting from issues of public interest, a sense of redress is made through the mood of public opinion. This is very important for the families. The role of the media has habitually presented a legacy of dominant narratives shaped by state censorship and control, both north and south to the detriment of these families and even after all these years they’re still fighting a battle against these dominant and economic power blocks that still seem indifferent to their suffering. 

 

Are you surprised at the apparent nonresponse of the print media in Dublin?

I’m not surprised at all, as expected I was of the opinion that there are many people who will be embarrassed by the images within the film. Fundamentally, the documentary confronts the dominant narrative around the conflict, a narrative that is still being promoted and upheld by the Irish and British press. What can’t be controlled is the public reaction to Unquiet Graves, people are now questioning the political discourse that has shaped this collective apathy to what went on in the north. My hope is that a once compliant media begin to listen to victims and afford them a voice without these false symmetrical alignment of arguments that may ensure the broadcaster’s impartiality but rarely advances the truth.

Two decades ago I was writing in An Phoblacht about the reality of  Kitsonian collusion.

The response of the mainstream media in Dublin and London at the time was to deride such allegations as a Provo conspiracy theory.

Now, this documentary smashes to pieces the “few bad apples” narrative apropos security force participation in the sectarian killings of nationalists in the Six Counties during the Dirty War.

Instead, Murray presents an unassailable case that the entire orchard was a genetically modified toxic swamp.

Watch this film.