This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, a historic peace deal that ended, for the most part, about 30 years of violence between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.
The 1998 breakthrough in political conflict brought Nobel Peace Prizes for two prominent politicians in the region -- John Hume and David Trimble.
To commemorate the accord, the Irish Embassy will screen "In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America" on May 21 in Tokyo. A screening in Nagoya will be held on May 24 at Nanzan University.
The 90-minute documentary features Hume, who played a central role in the Northern Irish peace process, and also includes interviews with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Irish and British prime ministers including Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair, and U2's Bono. The film is narrated by Liam Neeson and scored by Bill Whelan.
Brexit has again highlighted the situation surrounding the Irish-Northern Irish border, and this screening may offer an opportunity to learn about Hume and others who were tirelessly committed to realizing this key milestone in the peace process.
Visiting director Maurice Fitzpatrick will explain his work and take questions from the audience at the screening, while Fr. Hideyuki Koyama of Sophia University will introduce the documentary.
The film is in English but will be shown with Japanese subtitles. The screening will start at 6:30 p.m. at Sophia University's Bldg. #10 Auditorium in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.
Admission is free, but prior registration is required at john-hume-film.peatix.com/
Contact the embassy via tokyoembassy@dfa.ie for details.
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