'The Siege of Jadotville' trivia and fun facts

Relationship

Conor Quinlan, who plays P.J. in the movie, is the real-life grandson of Commandant Pat Quinlan, one of the main heroic characters in the movie.

Military training

The film's director, Richie Smyth, was adamant that the cast should all be given proper military training. The actors went through weeks of intense training at a boot camp in South Africa, undergoing the same kind of training that the original soldiers would have gone through.

Richie Smyth's first feature film

'The Siege of Jadotville' is director Richie Smyth's first feature film. After getting his start as a fashion and advertising photographer, Smyth has become one of Ireland's most successful and respected commercial and music video directors, making videos for U2, The Verve, and Bon Jovi, among many others.