Ahead of its theatrical release in Irish cinemas later this month and global release on Netflix in October, the first trailer has arrived for the Irish military film The Siege of Jadotville. Released today, it features the first footage seen of Jamie Dornan facing down an army of 3,000 mercenaries as the commander of an Irish troop of UN peacekeepers in the Congo in the early 1960s.
The film, sent in 1961, explores a largely forgotten chapter of Irish military history. Led by Commandant Pat Quinlan, played by Northern Irish star Jamie Dornan, the inexperienced and poorly equipped soldiers, numbering 150, managed to hold off an assault by more than 3,000 Katangese mercenaries backed by Belgian leaders.
The Irish actors involved reportedly went through weeks of military training at a South African boot camp, undergoing similar training to that which the Irish soldiers would have gone through in preparation for their mission. Despite enduring no losses, the men’s heroism and skill remained quiet for decades, as the soldiers were instructed to remain silent and not speak about their time in Jadotville, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Also starring Mark Strong, Michael McElhatton, and Guillaume Canet, The Siege of Jadotville is released in Irish cinemas on Monday, September 19th. You can watch the trailer in full below:
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