Unquiet Graves airs on RTÉ tonight and the film details the British government's role in the murder of over 120 civilians in counties Armagh and Tyrone.
The so-called Glenanne Gang rampaged through those two counties, and across the Republic Of Ireland in a campaign that lasted from July 1972 to the end of 1978.
The main focus of the film is the Glenanne Gang and their operations in the so-called “murder triangle” covering an area from Portadown to Coalisland, up to Aughnacloy where there have been more sectarian killings per head of the population than anywhere else in Northern Ireland.
In terms of the film's narrative scope, it documents how members of the RUC and UDR (a British Army regiment) were centrally involved in the murder of over 120 innocent civilians during The Troubles.
In doing so, the documentary reveals how state collusion facilitated the actions of known sectarian murderers as they assassinated farmers, shopkeepers, publicans and other civilians in a campaign that was aimed at terrorising the most vulnerable in society.
The documentary is narrated by Stephen Rea and it continues Seán Murray’s investigation into the legacy of the Northern Irish conflict though testimony-based documentary.
The feature is also inspired by the painstaking work of the human rights groups The Pat Finucane Centre (PFC), Dublin- based Justice for the Forgotten (JFF), and Anne Cadwallader’s best-selling book, Lethal Allies.
As the film's synopsis states: "The British government knew that collusion was going on and condoned it. The suffering of victims and survivors is today compounded by the refusal of both the Irish and British governments in dealing with the past by facing up to their responsibilities in pursuing truth and justice for those affected."
"The film hopes to redress an imbalance within public discourse while also offering a contextual appreciation of these tragic events from the perspectives of the families themselves, an important procedure not adequately afforded by institutional broadcasters in cases of state violence."
Unquiet Graves airs tonight Wednesday, September 16th at 9.35pm on RTÉ1 and as the film's director, Sean Murray, states: "This is a major step for the families in their search for truth."
Take a look at what's in store.
Clip via Irish Film Institute
