Ireland, 2001

Inspired by largely under reported stories of those who took part in Republican dirty protests and hunger strikes while imprisoned in The Armagh Women’s prison in the early 1980s, Silent Grace defies expectations with warmth, humanity and wit. Maeve Murphy’s direction is deft and intimate, while the cast are all superb, notably Orla Brady as the cynical, sharp group leader and Cathleen Bradley as a joy-riding young firebrand suddenly out of her depth when thrown in with prisoners demanding political status. More than 40 years on from events it depicts and 20 years since it was released to acclaim in UK cinemas, Silent Grace remains a powerful and righteous indictment of those on both sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide who sought to exploit the women’s conviction and courage.