Blind Flight (2003)

The true story of Irishman Brian Keenan and Englishman John McCarthy's extraordinary relationship as hostages of militias in Lebanon during the 1979-91 Civil War.

Director:

John Furse

Writer:

John Furse

Stars:

Bassem Breish, Mohamad Chamas, Brian Devlin

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bassem Breish	...	Joker
Mohamad Chamas	...	Abed
Brian Devlin	...	Seamus the Publican
Stephen Don	...	RUC Officer
Dany El Khoury	...	Rida
Lynn Farleigh	...	John's Mother
Ian Hart	...	Brian Keenan
Ziad Lahoud	...	Said
Aine Ni Mhuiri	...	Brian's Mum
Gary Mullan	...	Belfast Man in pub
Nayef Rashed	...	Militia leader
Linus Roache	...	John McCarthy
Paddy Rocks	...	Brian's Dad
Calum Whyte	...	Belfast Boy

Storyline

Keenan and McCarthy spent 4.5 years confined together, held underground for much of their captivity, at times chained to each other and to the walls of their prisons. The two men, who could easily have found themselves at opposite ends of a gun barrel in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, instead forged a relationship which transcended all that appeared to divide them. "Blind Flight" tells the story of this compelling relationship as they both resurrect their deepest memories, feelings, fears and loves. In their near biblical journey they uncover many of the forces which made them blind and captive human beings prior to their physical captivity. They finally discover a compassion for their captors which makes the film a 'love story' in the fullest and most humanistic sense.

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Plot Keywords:

hostage | prisoner | terrorist | torture | friendship between men | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 April 2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

La nuit des otages

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parallax Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

Brian's fingernails remain neatly trimmed throughout the period of captivity.

User Reviews

Pleasantly Surprising!

I recently watched a screening of Blind Flight at the Cosmat conference in Brighton and to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. Being the kind of person who generally watches mainstream movies, I thought that the fact this film is not widely recognised in the UK said it all. However I turned out to be very wrong, as I thought this movie was fantastic! The casting was very well done, and Ian Hart and Linus Roache were superb in this film, and fulfilled their characters roles very well. The film follows Brian Keenan and John McCarthy, an Irish teacher and an English Journalist captured and held hostage for 4 years in Lebanon during the 79-91 civil war. The film gives a real insight into the captive's emotions and feelings during this time, and being based on true events really makes you feel for the two men. I recently met the director John Furse and discovered that the film took 13 years to bring to UK screens, and the film was definitely worth the wait!