The signing of the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998 brought a dark and bloody chapter in Northern Ireland’s history to an end. Offering the promise of a lasting peace for future generations. However, whilst the accord has just about held, the violence never stopped. Indeed, there have subsequently been 160 ‘security-related’ deaths in the province. Unrest is on the rise since Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol, threatening to rip off the scab.
Investigative journalist Lyra McKee was the last victim. Shot in the head during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry on 18 April 2019. Assassinated by the New IRA. The murder sent reverberations across the UK on Ireland, but little has changed. Politics is still getting in the way of governing. Her family is still fighting for justice. Lyra sought to shine a light on some of the darkest corners of Northern Ireland’s history, while always being upbeat about her homeland. Lyra tells her story.
Lyra is a very personal documentary which celebrates the life and work of Lyra McKee. However, Alison Millar’s film doesn’t just focus on her short but illustrious career. It also follows in her footsteps by using her tragic death as a way of continuing her work. To appraise the current situation and the continuing legacy of the ‘Troubles’ on the region. Ensuring that Lyra is both a tribute and a wake-up call.
Lyra screens at Sheffield Doc/Fest.
