'A love letter to Sinead': Nothing Compares documentary will still air despite singer's death

Nothing Compares, a documentary about Sinead O’Connor, will still air on Saturday to provide viewers the opportunity to “hear her tell her side of the story”, according to the filmmaker.

Belfast-born director Kathryn Ferguson confirmed the original plan to release the programme on Sky Documentaries and Now from 29 July will proceed despite the recent passing of the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter at the age of 56.

The decision to move forward with the broadcast was made after careful consideration following the musician’s death.

The 2022 documentary delves into the late Irish star’s journey to international stardom, particularly after releasing her rendition of Nothing Compares 2 U, and the controversies she faced due to her outspoken protests.

“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,” Ferguson tweeted on Saturday.

“The reaction to the film and love for Sinead has been palpable and 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.”

She added: “An option she was rarely granted by some facets of the media who spent so much of their time being reductive of all she had to say.

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“Nothing Compares is a love letter to Sinead. 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.”

The documentary examines pivotal moments in O’Connor’s late 80s and early 90s career through a “contemporary feminist lens”.

The singer gained fame with highly acclaimed albums, including her 1987 debut The Lion And The Cobra and Grammy-winning follow-up I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.

Throughout the decades, she released eight more albums, with her last, I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss, launched in 2014.

The Irish musician was renowned for her strong positions on social and political matters, notably when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on US sketch show Saturday Night Live in 1992, protesting against the Catholic Church, which led to a vehement backlash.

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The documentary showcases snippets from her music videos and live performances, along with previously unreleased footage and a more recent interview.

Ferguson previously expressed her desire for the documentary to “serve as a reminder of her greatness,” as she described O’Connor as “a special, funny and magnificent human being”.

She added: “Her fire lit a torch for so many of us, particularly those who grew up in the 1990s, and those who really needed her light.”

The filmmaker also expressed her gratitude for the “tremendous privilege” of creating the programme with the singer’s approval.

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The documentary initially premiered at the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition in 2022 and later had a cinema release in October of the same year.

It received multiple award nominations and won the title of Best Feature Documentary at the Irish Film & Television Awards.

Nothing Compares will air on Sky Documentaries at 9pm and will be available on the subscription service Now. It will also be shown on Sky Showcase and Sky Arts.

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