''Dirty War'' is a single British television drama film, co-written by
Lizzie Mickery
Elizabeth Mickery is a British writer and former actress. She was known for her role as Maggie Thorpe in the BBC television drama series '' Tenko'', roles in ''Emmerdale Farm'', ''Juliet Bravo'', '' Lovejoy'', '' Heartbeat'', ''Woof!'', ''The Mer ...
and
Daniel Percival
Daniel Percival is a retired English television, theatre and film actor.
Early life and education
Percival was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He attended Leeds University, before moving to study at RADA from 2002 to 2005, where he obtai ...
and directed by Percival, that first broadcast on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
on 26 September 2004. The film, produced in association with
HBO Films
HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non-fi ...
, follows a terrorist attack on Central London where a "dirty bomb" is deployed. Principal cast members for the film include
Louise Delamere
Louise Alexandra Delamere (born 17 June 1969) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Lia in the Channel 4 comedy drama ''No Angels'' and Colette Sheward in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City''.
Career
Delamere appeared in ''Agatha ...
Martin Savage
, birth_date = 12 October 1897
, death_date = 19 December 1919
, birth_place= Ballisodare, County Sligo, Ireland
, death_place= Ashtown, County Dublin, Ireland
, image=Martin savage.jpg
, caption=
, nickname=
, allegiance= Irish Republican ...
,
Koel Purie
Koel Purie Rinchet (born 25 November 1978) is an Indian actress, producer and TV presenter.
About
She made her debut with Rahul Bose's directorial venture ''Everybody Says I'm Fine!'' in 2001 and later featured in ''Road to Ladakh'' starrin ...
,
Helen Schlesinger
Helen Schlesinger (born 1967) is a British stage and television actress. She was born in London, and raised near Windsor, Berkshire, UK. In film and on television, she has appeared in ''24 Hour Party People'' (2002), Rose and Maloney (2004),' ...
,
Ewan Stewart
Andrew Ewan Stewart (born 26 August 1957) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor.
Early life
Stewart was born in Glasgow, and is the son of the late Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart. His mother Sheila lives in Arbroath, Scotland. St ...
and Paul Antony-Barber.
Following its broadcast in the UK, a live questions & answers session with the writers of the programme broadcast on BBC One at 22:50 GMT. In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, the film was made available on HBO on 24 January 2005, and the broadcast for the first time on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
on 23 February 2005. The film was later released on DVD in the United States on October 6, 2005. Percival later won a BAFTA Award for Best New Director for his work on the film.
Production
Percival was tasked with creating the film by
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
executives, whose outline for the project was "think about what the new generation of terrorism actually meant". Percival stated that "The challenge of ''Dirty War'' was to tell the story of the attack from the intimate perspective of several different characters. We want to get the messages of this film to the widest possible audience."
Mickery was asked if she would like to co-write the script. She said of her contribution; "I think drama has the capacity to touch more people. If you are caught up in the emotions of the characters involved - and not just the statistics - the effect it has on you will last longer and be more intimate. ''Dirty Wars aim is to try to make sense of the situation we all face, to ask questions on our behalf, and most importantly, to move us."
Plot
''Dirty War'' opens with a quote from
Eliza Manningham-Buller
Elizabeth Lydia Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, (born 14 July 1948) is a retired British intelligence officer. She was Director General of MI5, the British internal Security Service, from October 2002 until her retirement in Apr ...
, the then-
Director General
A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals''
) or general director is a senior executive (government), executive officer, often the chief executive offi ...
of
MI5
The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...
: "''It will only be a matter of time before a crude chemical, biological, or radiological (
CBRN
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consi ...
) attack is launched on a major Western city''". ''Dirty War'' follows the journey of
radioactive
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consid ...
material, hidden in
vegetable oil
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fat ...
containers, from Habiller, Turkey, approximately west of
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, through
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, onwards to
Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
, then to an
East End
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
Indian food
Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, her ...
takeaway
A take-out or takeout (U.S., Canada, and the Philippines); carry-out or to-go (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. and Canada); takeaway (England, Wales, Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and occasionally in Nort ...
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
, and finally to a rented house in
Willesden
Willesden () is an area of northwest London, situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933, and has formed ...
, where the radioactive material and other components are assembled into a
dirty bomb
A dirty bomb or radiological dispersal device is a radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the dispersal agent/conventional explosion with ...
emergency service
Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while others deal wit ...
s plans are put to an immediate test, with disturbing results for a population ill-prepared to understand or obey anti-contamination and quarantine orders.
In addition to touching upon the motivations of the Islamic extremist terrorists to conduct what they saw as a
martyrdom operation
Istishhad ( ar, اِسْتِشْهَادٌ, istišhād) is the Arabic word for "martyrdom", "death of a martyr", or "heroic death". In recent years the term has been said to "emphasize... heroism in the act of sacrifice" rather than "victimizatio ...
, the events are shown through the eyes of three principal groups: the government, the emergency medical services, and the police. Nicola Painswick (
Helen Schlesinger
Helen Schlesinger (born 1967) is a British stage and television actress. She was born in London, and raised near Windsor, Berkshire, UK. In film and on television, she has appeared in ''24 Hour Party People'' (2002), Rose and Maloney (2004),' ...
), Minister for London, and Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Ives (
Ewan Stewart
Andrew Ewan Stewart (born 26 August 1957) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor.
Early life
Stewart was born in Glasgow, and is the son of the late Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart. His mother Sheila lives in Arbroath, Scotland. St ...
) of the
Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch
The Anti-Terrorist Branch (or SO13 by its designation) was a Specialist Operations (SO) branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service, formed to respond to terrorist activities within the capital and the surrounding areas.
The Anti-Terrorist Bran ...
, present a governmental point of view. Watch Commander Murray Corrigan (Alastair Galbraith) of the
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. It has 5,992staff, in ...
and his wife Liz Corrigan (
Louise Delamere
Louise Alexandra Delamere (born 17 June 1969) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Lia in the Channel 4 comedy drama ''No Angels'' and Colette Sheward in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City''.
Career
Delamere appeared in ''Agatha ...
), who works for the
National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
, present the emergency services' story. Detective Sergeant Mike Drummer (
Martin Savage
, birth_date = 12 October 1897
, death_date = 19 December 1919
, birth_place= Ballisodare, County Sligo, Ireland
, death_place= Ashtown, County Dublin, Ireland
, image=Martin savage.jpg
, caption=
, nickname=
, allegiance= Irish Republican ...
) and Detective Constable Sameena Habibullah (
Koel Purie
Koel Purie Rinchet (born 25 November 1978) is an Indian actress, producer and TV presenter.
About
She made her debut with Rahul Bose's directorial venture ''Everybody Says I'm Fine!'' in 2001 and later featured in ''Road to Ladakh'' starrin ...
) lead the police investigation to catch the terrorists, under the watchful eye of their boss, Commander Paul Hardwick ( Paul Antony-Barber). DC Habibullah, an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
Muslim policewoman from
Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
, presents a unique point of view throughout the film.
Cast
*
Louise Delamere
Louise Alexandra Delamere (born 17 June 1969) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Lia in the Channel 4 comedy drama ''No Angels'' and Colette Sheward in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City''.
Career
Delamere appeared in ''Agatha ...
as Liz Corrigan
* Alastair Galbraith as Murray Corrigan
* William El-Gardi as Abu Abassi
*
Martin Savage
, birth_date = 12 October 1897
, death_date = 19 December 1919
, birth_place= Ballisodare, County Sligo, Ireland
, death_place= Ashtown, County Dublin, Ireland
, image=Martin savage.jpg
, caption=
, nickname=
, allegiance= Irish Republican ...
as DS Mike Drummer
*
Koel Purie
Koel Purie Rinchet (born 25 November 1978) is an Indian actress, producer and TV presenter.
About
She made her debut with Rahul Bose's directorial venture ''Everybody Says I'm Fine!'' in 2001 and later featured in ''Road to Ladakh'' starrin ...
as DC Sameena Habibullah
*
Helen Schlesinger
Helen Schlesinger (born 1967) is a British stage and television actress. She was born in London, and raised near Windsor, Berkshire, UK. In film and on television, she has appeared in ''24 Hour Party People'' (2002), Rose and Maloney (2004),' ...
as Nicola Painswick
*
Ewan Stewart
Andrew Ewan Stewart (born 26 August 1957) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor.
Early life
Stewart was born in Glasgow, and is the son of the late Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart. His mother Sheila lives in Arbroath, Scotland. St ...
as DAC John Ives
* Paul Antony-Barber as Commander Paul Hardwick
* Louise Breckon-Richards as DC Vicky Loman
* Kameal Nisha Bisnauthsingh as Razla
*
Shamshad Akhtar
Shamshad Akhtar is a Pakistani development economist, United Nations diplomat and banker who also served as the caretaker Finance Minister of Pakistan.
Prior to that, she served as the 14th Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, the first wo ...
as Falzah
* Fuman Dar as Mohammed Ibn Harrara
*
Houda Echouafni
Houda Echouafni is a Moroccan actress.
Houda Echouafni is a British/Arab actress her theatre work includes The RSC, The National Theatre and The Globe Theatre.
Houda began filming Penny Woolcock's ''The Death of Klinghoffer'' in Malta while she wa ...
as Fatima
* George Georgiou as Usman Selcuk
*
Dorian Healy
Dorian Healy (born 11 February 1962) is a British actor, best known for his role as Capt/Maj Kieran Voce in the award-winning drama series ''Soldier Soldier'' (1993–1994).
He conceived and co-wrote the TV series ''Masculine Mescaline'' with ...
as Harper
*
David Horovitch
David Horovitch (born 11 August 1945) is an English actor, perhaps best known for playing the character of Inspector Slack in ''Miss Marple''. He stars in the '' Game of Thrones'' prequel series ''House of the Dragon'' as Grand Maester Mellos.
...
as Lambert
* Amar Hussain as Imran Nazir
*
Raza Jaffrey
Raza Jaffrey (born 28 May 1973) is a British actor and singer, who starred as Neal Hudson on the CBS TV medical drama '' Code Black''. He is best known for playing Zafar Younis on the BBC One spy drama series '' Spooks''. In 2014, he played ...
as Rashid Dhar
* Hosh Kane as Yousef Ghamidi
* Narinder Samra as Barber Asharf
* Jonty Stephens as DI Justin Lane
* Joe Tucker as DI Lance Brook
* Graeme Ford as DC Chris Scott
* Paul Maddaford as DC Richard Phillips