On 27 July the BFI releases Bill Douglas’s Comrades, the epic story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six Dorset labourers deported to Australia in the 1830s for forming a trade union.
Unfolding in the pastoral haze of Dorset and the blinding light of Australia, this is a beautiful film with moving, profound performances throughout. A compelling account of struggle and injustice, it is also a tale of history, storytelling and the way we see our world. The cast – with a wealth of British acting talent – includes Robin Soans, Philip Davis, Vanessa Redgrave, Imelda Staunton, Michael Horden and Keith Allen.
This distinctive feature from Bill Douglas, the Scottish director of singular vision – better known for his autobiographical Trilogy than for this extraordinary epic – is presented in a new High-Definition restoration and is available for the first time ever on DVD and on Blu-ray in a 2-disc set with over 2 hours of special features.
