‘SICK’…Bomb victim’s son said so called ‘terror pack’ to promote film is highly insensitive to the families of victims
ENNISKILLEN man Stephen Gault whose father was killed in the 1987 bombing has lambasted a so-called ‘terror pack’ that was sent out by a Belfast film director to promote a local film.
Mr Gault accused the director of glorifying terrorism after a promotional pack containing a balaclava, nails and duct tape was sent out to journalists and film critics.
The film, entitled A Belfast Story, follows a detective investigating the murder of former terrorists.
Mr Gault, who was just 17 when his father Samuel was killed in the bomb, called the pack “sick” saying it traumatises victims of the Troubles.
“I saw it highlighted on the radio and news and then saw pictures of the terror pack posted on Facebook and Twitter,” he said.
“When I saw it I thought this has to be a joke, this has to be a wind-up.
“I was disgusted that someone would glorify terrorism especially after what has happened over the last 30 years.
“It’s sick and belittles people who have suffered from terrorism and continue to suffer.”
The film’s director Nathan Todd, who is a former Queen’s University student, apologised for any offence caused and said the aim of the pack was to interest people.
However, Mr Gault believes Mr Todd’s has been highly insensitive towards victims and is disgusted by his actions.
“The person who created this ‘pack’ has obviously never suffered and is now trying to justify it, but you never can justify terrorism,” he continued.
Mr Gault who is a campaigner for the Enniskillen Remembrance Day Bomb Victims and chairman of the group JIVT (Justice for Innocent Victims of Terrorism) says the move should be criticised by everyone.
“It’s probably the last thing the victim would have seen before they were killed, a person standing there with a balaclava on with a gun in their face. It’s so insensitive.”
The film is set in a post-Troubles Belfast still marred by violence, with Irish actor Colm Meaney starring as a detective investigating the killings of ex-IRA men.
Mr Todd, who studied engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, said the pack was to stir interest.
He said: “The idea was to interest people in a movie we were making which is essentially the story of the two choices which face Belfast, do we engage retribution or reconciliation?
“Obviously, the intention is not to offend anyone. We apologise if we did.”
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