Blind Flight (2003)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John Furse

Writer:

John Furse (writer)

Release Date:

9 April 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hostage | Kidnapper | Irish | Terrorist | Torture

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

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
Nayef Rashed	...	Militia leader
Linus Roache	...	John McCarthy
Paddy Rocks	...	Brian's Dad
Calum Whyte	...	Belfast Boy

Directed by
John Furse

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Furse		writer

Produced by
Veronica Castillo	....	line producer
David Collins	....	co-producer
Eddie Dick	....	co-producer
John Furse	....	executive producer
Sally Hibbin	....	producer
Gary Phillips	....	executive producer
Luke Randolph	....	executive producer
Mark Vennis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Stephen McKeon

Cinematography by
Ian Wilson

Film Editing by
Kristina Hetherington

Casting by
Victoria Beattie

Production Design by
Andrew Sanders

Art Direction by
Ian Bailie		(supervising art director)
Margaret Horspool
Stephen Simmonds

Makeup Department
Lynne Mitchell	....	makeup trainee

Production Management
Nick Laws	....	production manager: Tunisia
Suzanne McKenzie	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Darren Fee	....	second assistant director
Kristina Hetherington	....	second unit director
Barry Keil	....	third assistant director
Charlie Leech	....	first assistant director
Andrew Sanders	....	second unit director

Art Department
Muir Balfour	....	construction supervisor
Cole Docherty	....	stand-by carpenter
Derek Fraser	....	construction manager
Russell Fulton	....	construction manager
Geoff Geddis	....	dressing props
John Ibbotson	....	painter
Tahar Lagha	....	painter
Keavy Lalor	....	props buyer
Darren Lyttle	....	set dressings
Campbell Mitchell	....	property master
Marina Morris	....	props buyer
Linda Murphy	....	art department coordinator
Alan Nixon	....	stand-by carpenter
Neill Paul	....	carpenter
Jim Reid	....	carpenter
Wes Rollins	....	carpenter
Paul Stewart	....	props

Sound Department
Niall Brady	....	sound editor
Stuart Bruce	....	sound mixer
Caoimhe Doyle	....	foley artist
John Fitzgerald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken Galvin	....	foley recordist
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
David McMillan	....	sound maintenance
Nicky Moss	....	sound designer

Stunts
Gary Connery	....	stunt coordinator
Donal O'Farrell	....	stunt coordinator: Ireland

Camera and Electrical Department
Karim Ayari	....	assistant camera: Tunisia
Chris Belcourt	....	stand-by rigger
Julie Bills	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Julie Bills	....	focus puller: second unit
Lewis Buchan	....	camera operator
Paul Chedlow	....	still photographer
Andy Gardner	....	focus puller
George Geddes	....	clapper loader
Ross Grainger	....	electrician
Conor Hammond	....	focus puller: second unit
Ed Jones	....	clapper loader: second unit
Grant Maclean	....	electrician
Laurence Manly	....	camera operator: second unit
Laurence Manly	....	director of photography: second unit
David McAnulty	....	grip
David McAnulty	....	key grip
Brett McCrum	....	electrician
Brian McGhee	....	generator operator
Lotfi Siala	....	electrician: Tunisia
Garry Thomson	....	best boy (as Gary Thomson)
Morag Tinto	....	camera trainee
Jon White	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Alex Johnson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Basma Dhaouadi	....	costume assistant: Tunisia
Elaine Robertson	....	costume assistant
Joanna Weaving	....	costume breakdown (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Gary Curran	....	colorist
Lorraine Keiller	....	first assistant editor
Eugene McCrystal	....	on-line editor
Jenny Stjernstrom	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Fraser Kennedy	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Amel Becharnia	....	production coordinator: Tunisia
Pippa Best	....	script editor
Pauline Burt	....	risk manager
Karalyn Church	....	production secretary
Donna Fitzsymons	....	accounting assistant
Nial Fulton	....	location manager
Graham Galloway	....	production runner
Catherine Geary	....	assistant location manager
Magali Gibert	....	production coordinator
Amanda Girvan	....	floor runner
Brendan Gunn	....	dialect coach
Robert Gyle	....	armorer
Stewart Hamilton	....	set production assistant: Scotland
Shian Holt	....	location assistant
Sharon Jennings	....	production runner
Hilary Kehoe	....	assistant to producer
Jack Lechner	....	script associate
Donald MacKinnon	....	location manager
Gavin Makinson	....	pre-production coordinator
Cathy Mooney	....	assistant production coordinator
Creona O'Connor	....	production secretary
Leigh Pickford	....	production assistant
Anne Quinn	....	production assistant
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Douglas M. Ray	....	assistant to producer
Andrew Reid	....	head of production: NIFTC
Sami Said	....	accountant: Tunisia
Jim Shortall	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Parallax Pictures

Distributors

• Filmfreak Distributie (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Optimum Releasing (2004) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Angels the Costumiers  costumes
• Ardmore Sound  sound re-recording
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment
• Sapex Scripts  post-production scripts
• Screen Scene  post-production facilities
• Soho Images  film lab

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | Iceland:16

Company:

Parallax Pictures

An entertaining film where you learn a lot without realising it.

How to convey five years captivity in one hour and a half with the whole range of contradictory feelings. This is what Blind Flight is about: Beirut 1985, the true story of Keenan and McCarthy kidnapped by a militant Muslim fundamentalist group. One expects immediately a vision of "baddies V Goodies" but the film is a lot more subtle and fairer than that. The Muslim guardians, despite their violence (Lebanon was in a state of war), remain human, and not stereotyped. In fact they appear as victims of politics and in the same time they reproduce the system they are fighting. What is remarkable is the way John Furse maintains your interest throughout an almost static film; for instance one of the kidnapper is proud to show them his new born baby but he is also proud of his new kalachnikof. The film is intelligent, moving, funny and thought provoking. My thought was "what would I do in their place?". McCarthy and Keenan give us a lesson of courage and wisdom we have been longing for for decades. They don't save the world, they broaden its mind by undergoing the kind of test that enlightens what is important in life.

We were very lucky to meet John Furse the director and McCarthy at the end of the show. They were as genuine, interesting and lucid as their film. John Furse's talent makes me look forward for his next film.