LAST NIGHT, ACTOR Jamie Dornan was at the Savoy Cinema in Dublin for the premiere of his new Netflix film The Siege of Jadotville.
The movie recounts the 1961 siege at Jadotville in the Congo, where Irish UN troops (called the A Company) were attacked by Katangese forces.
The Irish soldiers resisted the Katangese for six days as they waited for more troops to reach them, but had to surrender after their supplies were exhausted.
The men were then taken as prisoners of war for close to a month, but amazingly, none of the 155-strong contingent were killed.
Dornan plays Commandant Pat Quinlan, leader of the troops – he was joined at the premiere last night by the surviving members of the A Company and their families.
In a Q&A after the screening, he spoke of acting alongside Comdt Quinlan’s grandson Conor on set, and the pressure he felt playing a man who existed in recent history:
[Conor Quinlan] was amazingly supportive throughout – you want to honour not just Quinlan but all the men involved, because their heroics are unparalleled.
The film received a standing ovation at the Savoy last night, as well as several spontaneous rounds of applause – and at the end, Dornan posed for group photos with the soldiers in attendance.
Those who have seen the film so far agree it is a fitting tribute to their bravery:
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The Siege of Jadotville is in Irish cinemas now, and will be released globally on Netflix on October 7.
