28 February 2023
406 Days, a documentary about the pickets by Debenhams workers after the retailer closed its Irish stores and filed for liquidation in 2020, has won the ICCL Human Rights Film Award at the Dublin International Film Festival.
The award was decided by a six-strong jury chaired by disability and LGBTQ+ rights activist Suzy Byrne. Also on the jury were activist and academic, Yara Alagha; TV presenter, Claire Brock; activist and founder of Black and Irish, Leon Diop; actor, writer and previous winner of the award, Clare Dunne; and director Emer Reynolds.
Delivering its verdict, the jury said:
“We are delighted to award the ICCL Human Rights Film Award to 406 Days and to all the Debenhams workers.
“406 Days is an incredible testimony to the strength and resilience of a group of mostly female workers in the face of the might of an international company.
“The women in this film could be our mums, our aunties, our grannies, our sisters. They are proud, hard-working women who gave decades of their lives to their work only to have that taken from them with no warning at the start of the Covid pandemic.
“Their voices are so rarely heard in our society and our media. This film gives them and their voices a platform and for that the filmmakers deserve congratulation and celebration.
“Appropriately for the Dublin International Film Festival, 406 Days is a film rooted in Dublin, but also Ireland – and we loved hearing voices from Tralee, Cork, Waterford and Limerick, as well as Dublin.
“This is a story of accidental activism; of organic revolution; of women who stood out in rain, hail, snow and sunshine, 24 hours a day to defend their rights. It’s a story all of us in Ireland should know and everyone who sees it will be inspired to grab a placard and get out on the street.”
Special Commendation
The jury also awarded a Special Commendation to Chilean film My Imaginary Country (Mi País Imaginario), which explores the protests that exploded onto the streets of Chile’s capital of Santiago in 2019 as the population demanded more democracy and social equality around education, healthcare and job opportunities.
In its commendation, the jury said:
“My Imaginary Country (Mi País Imaginario) is a stunning, beautifully made celebration of protest and civil disobedience, which leaves viewers with a sense of hope for the future.
“Packed with symbolism, this film will inspire anyone who sees it and convince them of the power of protest and solidarity.
“The interviews are filled with wisdom and in particular we were delighted to see that most, if not all, interviewees were women.
“Similar to 406 Days, My Imaginary Country is another celebration of female strength and resilience and we are delighted to afford it a special commendation as part of the ICCL Human Rights Film Award 2023.”
Dublin International Film Festival
The five films nominated for the ICCL Human Rights Film Award were:
- 406 Days
- Ann
- My Imaginary Country (Mi País Imaginario)
- Pray for Our Sinners
- The Beasts
There is still time to catch some of the films at Dublin International Film Festival:
- My Imaginary Country (Mi País Imaginario) is screening on Friday 3 March, 6.30pm at the Light House Cinema, Dublin and is available to stream online from Friday 3 March, 7.30pm
- Pray for Our Sinners is screening on Friday 3 March, 8.30pm at the Light House Cinema, Dublin
- 406 Days is screening on Saturday 4 March, 8.00pm at the Light House Cinema, Dublin (DIFF Closing Gala)
Tickets are available from diff.ie.
Ends/
Available for comment: Jury members
For media queries: ruth.mccourt@iccl.ie / 087 415 7162
Jury Member Bios
Suzy Byrne (disability activist and chairperson of ICCL)
Suzy Byrne is a disabled woman, activist and broadcaster. She is Chairperson of the ICCL Board of Directors and regional manager for the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities. Suzy was co-chairperson of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) during the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in 1993 and has also chaired the International Lesbian and Gay Youth Organisation. (IGLYO).
Yara Alagha (activist and academic)
Yara Alagha is a researcher in equity in education at the University of Sheffield. She formerly served as a parliamentary researcher in the Seanad. Yara is a board member of Amal Women’s Association, working to improve the lives and conditions of migrant and Muslim women across the country. She previously served as a board member for Women for Election, an NGO working to support women success in Irish politics. She holds an MA in political communication from TU Dublin and is a guest lecturer at DCU in the Department of Education with focus on anti-racism education.
Claire Brock (TV presenter, Virgin Media)
With twenty years in broadcasting, Claire Brock is an experienced news presenter, interviewer and moderator. She is a presenter on Virgin Media News, where she fronts The Tonight Show. Claire’s career has spanned both television and radio where she has presented news and current affairs covering the major news stories of the day, special live events, and interviews.
Leon Diop (activist and founder of Black and Irish)
Leon Diop is a 28-year-old mixed-race man from Tallaght in Dublin. He attended Maynooth University where he received a degree in psychology and also served as student union president for two years. In 2020, he founded the organisation Black and Irish alongside two others. Black and Irish is now an organisation working on behalf of the black community across different sectors in Ireland.
Clare Dunne (actor, writer and previous winner of the award for ‘Herself’)
Clare is a writer and actress currently most known for playing Amanda in Kin on RTE. At first working mainly in theatre across numerous stages in the world, Clare eventually wrote her first feature film ‘Herself’, which she also starred in. It premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and was the closing film for DIFF 2020, winning the Human Rights Film Award and an IFTA for Best Script in 2021. ‘One Good Conversation’ is Clare’s debut as a director and can be seen in the Shorts programme at this year’s Dublin International Film Festival.
Emer Reynolds (director)
Following a successful 20-year career as a film editor, spanning feature film, television drama and documentary, Emer Reynolds transitioned into directing. She began with feature documentaries, including the Grierson-nominated ‘Here Was Cuba’, the Emmy Award winning space documentary ‘The Farthest’ and the critically acclaimed ‘Phil Lynott: Songs for While I’m Away’. Emer’s debut narrative feature, ‘Joyride’, starring Olivia Colman and newcomer Charlie Reid, was released in 2022.