"The Irish in Film"

The Irish film series concludes with "The Journey" (2017), a docu-drama about a fictionalized relationship between Ian Paisley (Timothy Spall), the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, and Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney), the Sinn Fein political leader. The screenplay was written by Colin Bateman of Northern Ireland.  The film depicts the men after they engage in negotiations to share political power in Northern Ireland. As the negotiations are stalled, Paisley and McGuinness are manipulated by an MI5 chief (John Hurt) to ride together to the airport. Side by side in the van, the two enemies bait each other with old grievances, and express hardened political attitudes. As the trip progresses, however, some barriers are broken down. Although the trip is pure invention, the film is based on an historic event that led to the 2006 St. Andrews, power-sharing agreement.