Kathleen Quigley’s (played by Helen Mirren) only son, Gerard, a member of the IRA, is shot and captured by the British Army and charged with the murder of a British soldier. In prison, Gerard shares a cell with Bobby Sands, the leader of the protests by H-Block political prisoners. When Gerard goes on hunger strike, Kathleen is forced to find her own way amidst a quagmire of powerful forces attempting to manipulate her as a political pawn. Her friendship with Annie, whose son is also on the hunger strike, grows as Kathleen’s well-ordered world turns into a brutal, heart-stopping struggle for her son’s life, a life he is willing to sacrifice.
DIRECTOR Terry George
PRODUCERS Jim Sheridan, Arthur Lappin, Ed Burke
CAST Helen Mirren, Fionnula Flanagan, Aidan Gillen, David O’Hara, John Lynch
RUNNING TIME 112 minutes