Colin Firth seeks answers in Lockerbie: The Search for Truth

Scottish playwright David Harrower reveals who he believes is truly responsible for the worst terrorist attack in British history in Jim Swire's skeptical book Lockerbie Bombing: A Father Seeking Justice This is what he had to do when he started writing the script for the television version of “The World.'' Ask yourself, what would happen if Swire was wrong?

In 1988, Swire's daughter was one of 270 people killed in the bombing of American jetliner Pan Am Flight 103, whose wreckage crashed in the remote Scottish town of Lockerbie. His book, co-authored with Peter Biddulph, claims that Libyan bomber Abdel Bassett Ali al-Megrahi was staged by his own government and that his trial was a virtual sham. He claims that the entire investigation was covered up. lies and concealment.

The book is driven by a conviction of justice, but Harrower wanted to avoid that on screen.

“Swire is a very tenacious, driven person who has complete confidence in what he believes in,” Harrower said. But he added: “There are some people in the world who believe the opposite of what he believes. So, you don't have to ask, 'What if all of this is actually caused by grief?' I couldn't make it.”

“Lockerbie: The Search for Truth,” currently airing on Peacock, depicts Swire's decades of activism and research, but Harrower said the series is “not meant to be a hagiographic treatment.” Instead, the show is as much about the nature of obsession as it is about justice.

As with other paranoid thrillers like “Zodiac” and “The Insider,” the answers always seem a little out of reach. Still, Swire, played by Colin Firth, remains adamant about the case, even though those around him, including his wife Jane (Catherine McCormack), think it makes sense to move on. Masu.

Gareth Neame, the series' executive producer, said: “We're very clear that we don't have an opinion on this show, but we're telling Jim's story and Jim's version of events.” he said. “He has strong opinions, and a lot of other people don't.”

If there's one thing the producers were sure of from the beginning, it was that they wanted to cast Firth, who they felt could best embody Swire's balance of self-doubt and determination, as well as his strong moral code. That's true. Fellow producer Nigel Merchant said: “It's very rare that we get our first choice.'' “This is a truly wonderful, measured performance that encapsulates both a study of grief but also this great commitment to truth.”

Mr. Firth met with Mr. Swire before production began and said in an email that he was impressed by Mr. Swire's “powerful clarity and focus.” He explained to the Swires that “due to the nature of dramatic depictions, they may not be aware of themselves,” and was impressed that he “did not impose ideas or try to guide depictions.” he said he received it.

The series begins with the tragic impact of an ill-fated 747 exploding mid-air and literally falling from the sky. When the Swire family hears the news, they are devastated, and their parents explode with anger and sadness. It's an uplifting introduction to the characters and the show.

But as the story unfolds and the focus shifts to its aftermath, Swire throws himself into amateur detective work and a protracted legal battle with the British government, perhaps sidestepping the more difficult task of mourning. Firth is a sympathetic and hard to dislike character, but there's something troubling about him.

Initially, the Pan Am bombing became an international diplomatic issue, with Western sanctions costing Libya an estimated $30 billion, and the trial sparking a media frenzy — before dying of cancer in 2016 on sympathetic grounds. (So ​​was al-Megrahi's release.) But Swire, now in his late 80s, has watched the tragedy gradually fade from the public imagination.

“As time went on, fewer people cared or even knew about the disaster,” Firth said. Mr. Swire “became increasingly doubtful whether the full truth would ever come out in his lifetime,” Mr. Firth added.

The creators of Lockerbie also hope to reignite public interest in the tragedy and encourage people to continue to question who exactly was responsible for it. McCormack, who plays Swire's wife, said Swire “seemed very happy that this film was made, because it brought it back into the public consciousness.” He added: “He's been fighting this fight for years and this is an opportunity for him to shine a light again.”

For those who remember the Lockerbie bombing, it may be hard to believe that the memory has faded at all. “This is something that has really affected all of us in different ways,” Firth said. “Lockerbie shocked everyone.”

But while making the show, it also became clear to Firth that the world was moving on. “When I look back on my life in the 35 years since the accident, and everything that has happened since then, I realize how long Jim and his family, and thousands of others, have endured this. I was really shocked,” Firth said. “Every minute of that time was spent living with that loss.”