MOVIES - May 17, 1990

Cannes Controversy: “Hidden Agenda,” a film set in strife-torn Northern Ireland, sparked a furor at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, as journalists from right-wing British newspapers accused director Ken Loach of pro-Republican bias. The film centers on a group of civil rights campaigners investigating human rights abuses in Northern Ireland. The post-premiere news conference turned into a wrangling match as the British reporters stood up to denounce the movie and were shouted down by colleagues.