LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Spotlight, the movie that recreates the Boston Globe's probe of sex abuse in the Catholic Church, won the Oscar for best picture on Sunday, the highest honour in the film industry.

The film, which took years to research, follows the journalists who in 2002 revealed that church officials had routinely covered up reports that priests had sexually assaulted dozens of children. The Boston Globe won a Pulitzer prize for its efforts.

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Other playtimes on HBO: March 2 (9pm), March 4 (10.30pm) / March 6 (4pm)