The highly acclaimed documentary LYRA tells the story of the renowned investigative journalist Lyra McKee. The film has won a number of awards, including an BFE Cut Above Award and an Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA).

After premiering on November 7, 2021, at the Belfast and Cork film festivals, it will be broadcast for the first time on April 15 at 9:25 pm on Channel 4.

LYRA was directed by the Belfast-based filmmaker Alison Millar, a close friend of McKee. For her unique documentary style, Millar won several awards, including a BAFTA for her work on 2013‘s Best Current Affairs.

The award-winning emotive, intimate, feature-length documentary of Lyra Mckee airs on Channel 4 tomorrow at 9:25pm📺🎞️.

Directed by @ericastarling1, LYRA is a beautiful & heartfelt film about the life & death of the renowned investigative journalist Lyra McKee📽️. pic.twitter.com/RzsHFeWmJj

— Northern Ireland Screen (@NIScreen) April 14, 2023

Belfast-born journalist McKee first got attention after her article, "Letter to my 14-year-old-self," reached a wider audience. In the article, which was later made into a short film, she shared her experience growing up gay in Belfast.

She later worked for several media magazines including Mosaic, Private Eye and Buzzfeed News. For her work as investigative reporter the Forbes magazine named her one of its "30 under 30 in media."

Angels with Blue Faces, her first nonfiction book, was published in 2019 and dealt with the Provisional IRA killing of Belfast MP Robert Bradford. Faber and Faber published the book as part of a two-book deal. Her second book, The Lost Boys, remained unfinished.

While the documentary covers the journalist's entire life, the event of her death is highlighted in particular. McKee was killed during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry, Northern Ireland, on April 18, 2019. The riots and violence erupted as a result of previous police raids.

The situation escalated to the point where youths threw petrol bombs, vehicles were set on fire, and a gunman fired twelve shots at police officers. McKee, who was near police at the time, was fatally wounded in the head and later died at Altnagelvin Area Hospital.