A controversial film about the boys who killed two-year-old James Bulger in Bootle in 1993 has been nominated for an Oscar.
Detainment recreates police interviews with 10-year-old killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables using original transcripts and has been shortlisted for the Academy’s best live action short film.
The film was made by Irish director Vincent Lambe. Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, tweeted to say “how disgusted and upset I am that this so-called film has been made and now nominated for an Oscar”.
More than 90,000 people had signed a petition before the nominations were announced on Tuesday asking the Oscars to disqualify the 30-minute film.After the Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, tweeted his congratulations to the Irish nominees, including the team behind Detainment.
