One night in 2012, Majella took her teenage son Philly to be shot in both legs. Majella, Philly and his shooters all live within an extraordinary community in Derry-Londonderry. The “Troubles” officially ended in 1998 but this community is still at war. They do not accept the government or police. All this happens within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. 

How do you bring your son to be shot? What happens afterwards? How does family life continue? How does a community respond? When do wars really end? 

For five years, Sinéad O’Shea has filmed this shocking but unexpectedly humorous portrait of a family and community at war. The film has won acclaim at festivals all over the world. The Oscar-winning director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing) is executive producer. 

The screening will be followed by a short panel discussion, led by Dr Teresa Degenhardt, Lecturer in Criminology (SSESW), and featuring Prof Liam Kennedy, Emeritus Professor of History (HAPP),  and Dr Siobhan McAlister, Lecturer in Criminology (SSESW).

Real to Reel: Film and Social Life is a monthly sociological cinema series presented in collaboration with the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University.