Strangford MP Jim Shannon has expressed his support for a “very powerful film short film, Strong to Survive, premiered to an invited audience in Belfast’s Strand cinema last week.”
He said: “The film included personal accounts of a survivor from the Tullyvallen Massacre, as well as families who lost those family and friends in the UDR and RUC.
The film also highlighted the impact on the Orange Order who lost 332 members in total, and revealed that 500 children had been left grieving for parents taken from them by Republican terrorists during the Troubles.
“The youngest victim was 18-year old and the eldest was 86. This film is extremely emotive and demonstrates just how much of an impact the terrorist campaign had on everyone in Northern Ireland.
“I myself personally lost many friends from the UDR and my own dear cousin, Kenneth Smith, who was murdered by the IRA on 10 December 1970. Like many others, I am still waiting for justice for his murder.
“I was pleased to see the film touching on this sensitive subject was released, and it serves as a reminder of the human cost of terrorism. Nothing can ever fill the void of the loss of a loved one, but this kind of film helps to keep the memories of those we lost alive, and we owe a great deal of gratitude to those who featured in this film.”
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