The Peacemaker

Q&A filmmaker James Demo

The Peacemaker follows the life and work of Padraig O’Malley, a man who has acted as a negotiator of reconciliation in some of the world’s most contentious zones of conflict. He got his start working on the conflict in Northern Ireland, and has since worked on complicated and tumultuous meetings in South Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. His strategy is guided by experience and empathy; he asks that divided cultures undergoing peace talks also assist with reconciliation efforts in other regions. The success of Padraig’s work is contrasted with a barren and tumultuous personal life, including his past as an alcoholic and a string of failed relationships. We meet Padraig in the third act of his life, racing against time to find some kind of salvation for both the world and himself.