The Open Door

From the collection of

Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive
Launched in 2000, Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive spans from 1897 to the present day and currently contains an ever-expanding catalogue of 13,000 items. It comprises material from a variety of depositors including feature films, sport, documentaries, animation, amateur footage, light entertainment, and a significant proportion of broadcast material from the UTV Archive.

The Open Door


Witness the changing face of psychiatric care in this hospital sponsored public information film

Follow the 6 week journey to recovery of a fictional patient in the real Gransha Psychiatric Hospital. This film is written and directed by John Hume, the principle architect of the Good Friday Agreement and a leading figure in the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. Glimpse the recreational, occupational and industrial therapies that indicate the gradually changing attitudes and provision for the treatment of mental illness in the Derry hospital.

This film was produced by two Derry teachers, celebrated filmmaker Terence Mc Donald and John Hume, future leader of the SDLP and winner of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for his pivotal role in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Terence McDonald was an innovative and prolific amateur filmmaker. His remarkable body of work includes sensitive documentaries, dystopian fiction, slapstick comedy and promotional films for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Northern Ireland Resurgence Trust. This public information film is just one of many gems by Terence McDonald and John Hume that you can watch on the BFI Player. This material is courtesy of his son Peter McDonald.


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