Bulger film director apologises to family

THE Irish director of a short film about James Bulger’s killers has apologised for any upset he has caused to the Bulger family.

‘Detainment’, written and directed by Vincent Lambe, is based on transcripts of the police interrogation of the toddler’s schoolboy killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables.

The boys were both aged just 10 when they were convicted of murdering James (2) after abducting him from a shopping centre in Liverpool in 1993.

The film has made the Oscars shortlist of 10 in the Live Action Shorts category, with the final five revealed on January 22.

However, it has faced backlash in recent weeks, with James’s parents Denise Fergus and Ralph Bulger criticising Mr Lambe for not consulting with the family before making the film.

Ms Fergus has called for the film to be removed from the Oscars short list.

In an interview for a newspaper, James’s father Ralph said: “I accept this is a murder of such magnitude it will always be written about and featured in the news, but to make a film so sympathetic to James’s killers is devastating.”

Mr Lambe apologised for any upset caused and for not consulting with the family.

“It was never intended to bring any more anguish to the Bulger family,” he told RTÉ’s Ryan Tubridy.

“In hindsight, I think we probably should have got in touch or let her [Denise Fergus] know we were going to make it.”