A film that focuses on the James Bulger case has been widely criticised after being nominated for an Oscar.
‘Detainment’ has been shortlisted in the Short Film Category of the prestigious award ceremony that will take place on February 24th.
The film is based on interview transcripts and records taken from police interviews in 1993.
The family of James Bulger were not contacted to ask for their permission for the making of the film. Denise Fergus appeared on national television earlier this month stating that she would be boycotting the film.
The film shows a sympathetic view of the incident and the director of the film, Vincent Lambe, insists that James’ killers John Venables and Robert Thompson weren’t “born evil.”
He said: “The reason I made this film, people think they were evil and they were born evil and I don’t think it was as simple as that.
“If people don’t see them as human, they won’t begin to understand.”
Many took to twitter following the announcement to criticise their decision to include the film in the category nominations.
Over 90,000 people signed a petition urging The Academy not to include the film in the nominations.
Denise Fergus tweeted yesterday: “I cannot express how disgusted and upset I am at this so called film that has been made and now nominated for an Oscar.
“It’s one thing making a film like this without contacting or getting permission from James’s family but another to have a child re-enact the final hours of James’s life before he was brutally murdered and making myself and my family have to relive this all over again!