New documentary 'The Negotiator' to follow life of the "architect" of the Good Friday Agreement
"There have not been many like him since 1998"
A new documentary which examines the life of the "architect" of the Good Friday Agreement, Senator George Mitchell, is set for a gala screening in Belfast.
Featuring Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, The Negotiator, from Fine Point Films, is directed by Trevor Birney (No Stone Unturned; Quinn Country, Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing, Kneecap) and will open the Docs Ireland Film Festival on Wednesday evening.
The Negotiator, developed in association with Queen’s University, follows journalist and filmmaker Trevor Birney as he profiles US Senator George Mitchell, whose role in the Good Friday Agreement changed the lives of an entire generation in Northern Ireland.
A description of the documentary reads: "This timely, contemporary and deeply personal film poses provocative questions about positive United States engagement with the wider world and how Senator Mitchell - with his inexhaustible patience - turned the apparently impossible into the possible.
"Filmed in Maine, Washington DC and Northern Ireland, the film explores Mitchell’s journey from a working-class boy in Maine to one of America’s most respected political negotiators."
The documentary was produced by Stephen Douds and Andrew Tully and contributors to the documentary include former United States President Bill Clinton.
Speaking on Senator Mitchell, Clinton said: "He was an incredibly gifted, brilliant, ferociously determined man from a quite straightforward and simple background.
"He had this uncanny ability to make us all want to be straight with each other, not continue to waste time and posture.”
Producer of the BAFTA-winning, Kneecap and Emmy-nominated founder of Fine Point Films, Trevor Birney said: "Many of us primarily view Senator Mitchell as the architect of the Good Friday Agreement but know little about the man himself, despite his prominent career as a lawyer, business leader and politician in the US before ever setting foot in Belfast.
"As a journalist, I covered the protracted negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement and was in the Kings Hall on the day of the referendum, reporting on the momentous days that followed.
"Almost 30 years on, it felt right to examine the process that led to Senator Mitchell chairing talks with political opposites in what felt like an intractable situation.
"What has become clear in that time is that he is a unique individual, there have not been many like him since 1998.
"We now live in a world riven with conflict and those with the skill and ability to bring about enduring political settlements in places experiencing ongoing problems are few and far between. The documentary shows just how special Senator Mitchell is and is a record of the immense contribution that he made here. We could use a few more like him right now."
Broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan will host a post screening in-person interview with Senator Mitchell and Director, Trevor Birney. Over 200 guests are expected to attend the screening at Cineworld in Belfast this evening.
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