BAFTA-winning Banshees highlights donkeys’ true qualities
The Banshees of Inisherin, a film about friendship which features a donkey as one of its central characters, won four BAFTAs last night, including Outstanding British Film.
A spokesperson from The Donkey Sanctuary said: “At its heart, this is a film about companionship. The bond between Padraic and Jenny symbolises true friendship. Unlike Colm, Jenny the donkey is characteristically patient, loyal and reliable - the human friend we’d all love to have.”
Donkeys are having something of a moment in film. Banshees has had success at the Golden Globes and now the BAFTAs; and EO, a film showing the world from the donkey’s perspective, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes, has been nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. Banshees is also hotly tipped for Oscars success.
The spokesperson added: “What’s so refreshing about the way donkeys have been portrayed in Banshees and EO is that they have been shown as the inquisitive, sensitive and loveable animals they are.
“Donkeys have been loyal and trusted companions to humans for millennia. We are delighted by the success of these films and the fact donkeys are finally getting their moment in the spotlight. We will certainly be keeping our fingers (and hooves!) crossed that EO, Jerzy Skolimowski’s sensitive and insightful portrayal of a donkey, takes home the Oscar for Best International Feature Film.”
