Sinéad O’Connor’s documentarian says she feels as if she has “lost a limb” since the singer’s death.
Northern Irish filmmaker Kathyrn Ferguson’s film on Sinéad’s abusive upbringing and painful rise to fame, titled ‘Nothing Compares’, controversially aired on Sky on Saturday (29.07.23) day’s after the star’s death in London three days earlier.
Despite backlash at highlighting Sinéad’s painful past – which included beatings as a child, a traumatic relationship with her mum and a miscarriage she she says she was pressured into by music bosses, Kathyrn has insisted she has had a positive reaction to the film.
She tweeted: “The reaction to the film and love for Sinéad has been palpable.
‘Nothing Compares’ is a love letter to Sinéad. She meant the absolute world to me.”
Kathryn defended the film being shown in a lengthy Twitter thread on the eve it aired, saying: “We had been scheduled to release ‘Nothing Compares’ today on Sky / Now for a very long time and after lots of thought we are going to go ahead with that plan… we feel screening it this weekend is the right thing to do, so that people can see her in all her glory and hear her tell her side of the story.
“An option she was rarely granted by some facets or the media who spent so much of their time being reductive of all she had to say… she meant the absolute world to me and I know she did to many of you.
“Watch the film, feel the rage, have a good cry and let’s remember the woman for her radical, magical ways and all she has done for us.
“I’ve never been prouder to be an Irish woman.”
Kathryn added the Irish phrase: “Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam”, which means “At the right hand of God was her soul.”
She signed off her justification for the film being shown: “Thank you for all the beautiful messages. Sorry I’ve not gotten back, feeling bereft and in shock as I know a lot of you are too.
“Sinéad wasn’t family or a close friend but I feel like I’ve lost a limb. I’m so happy we managed to make ‘Nothing Compares’, that we had her blessing and that she got to see the reaction to it and feel the love.
“We spoke a bit this past year and I know the reaction to the film brought her some lightness amongst the heartbreak. I’m just so sorry she’s gone.”
