Sinead O’Connor’s award-winning docu-film, Nothing Compares, to broadcast on Sky and NOW from 29 July
Sinead O’Connor’s award-winning docu-film, Nothing Compares, to broadcast on Sky and NOW from 29 July
To download episode imagery, please click here
“Here was a bold Irish woman who said things that others didn’t feel they could say, and she said them loudly.”
Sky today announced that the SHOWTIME® and IFTA winning documentary, ‘Nothing Compares’ will broadcast exclusively on Sky Documentaries & NOW from 29 July. The critically acclaimed documentary film charts Sinéad O’Connor’s phenomenal rise to worldwide fame and how her iconoclastic personality resulted in her exile from the pop mainstream.
Directed by Belfast-born filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson, the archive-led documentary takes viewers back to Sinead’s prophetic words and deeds from 1987-1993. It reflects on the legacy of a fearless artist through a contemporary feminist lens and features era-defining music videos and concert performances, previously unseen footage, and a present-day interview with Sinead. The docu-film is a tapestry of Sinead’s impact on the world around her and ties together intimate first-hand interviews and insights from contemporary artists, musicians and social commentators who introduce broader themes of Irish history, politics, and global activism, all the while reflecting on Sinead’s artistry and far-reaching, global impact.
Speaking of her fascination with Sinéad O’Connor, Kathryn Ferguson, Director said: “I grew up in Belfast during the 1980s and ‘90s. Women and their rights, particularly their reproductive rights, were very low down the pecking order. When Sinead burst into my consciousness as a young teenager, it felt like a door had been kicked open. Here was a bold Irish woman who said things that others didn’t feel they could say, and she said them loudly. The intention with this film is to disrupt the trope of telling iconoclastic women’s stories through the tragic heroine lens. Nothing Compares isn’t a regular music documentary, instead it’s a portrait of one unique artist, her cultural significance in Irish history and she has affected the lives of millions around the world.”
The film is produced by Tara Films and Ard Mhacha Productions, in association with Field of Vision, Screen Ireland, BFI Doc Society Fund (awarding National Lottery funding), ie: Entertainment and Northern Ireland Screen and distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
It was selected for the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition 2022, where it debuted before hitting cinemas last October. It has received over thirty award nominations internationally, including Critics Choice, IDA and PGA Awards, and has been awarded winner of both Best Feature Documentary, and Debut Director – Feature Documentary at BIFA 2022, Best Feature Documentary at the Irish Film Television Awards 2023, Best Irish Documentary at Galway Film Fleadh and winner of the Audience Award at Docs Ireland.
Nothing Compares will be available on Sky Documentaries and NOW from 29 July.
About the Production Team:
Kathryn Ferguson - Director
Belfast-born Kathryn Ferguson is an award-winning director and writer. After a decade of focusing on short form work centred on identity, gender politics and community, she recently completed her first feature documentary NOTHING COMPARES about musician Sinéad O’Connor which premiered at Sundance 2022. The film has screened globally, been theatrically released, and has won multiple awards including Best Feature Documentary and Best Debut Director - Feature Documentary at this year's BIFA Awards. In addition, in 2022 Kathryn was awarded the BFI & Chanel award for Creative Audacity for a first-time feature director.
Eleanor Emptage – Producer
Eleanor Emptage is an award-winning writer and producer, whose credits include the feature documentaries WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON ACTIVIST (Sundance 2018) and NOTHING COMPARES (Sundance 2022). Her work has been shown worldwide, on platforms including Amazon Prime, Showtime, Disney+ and the BBC, and selected for festivals including Tribeca, IDFA, CPH:DOX and SXSW.
Michael Mallie – Producer
Michael Mallie is an award-winning filmmaker who founded and runs Ard Mhacha Productions. His most recent feature documentary NOTHING COMPARES, was selected for the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition 2022. For over a decade Michael has conceived, produced and directed many high-profile television documentaries including Tír Eoghain: The Unbreakable Bond, Stephen McCoy: My Fight to Live, A Woman's Place, Basil Blackshaw... An Edge of Society Man and Paisley: Genesis to Revelation.
