Kenneth Branagh’s latest semi-autobiographical film, Belfast, is set in Northern Ireland in 1969 and explores the “social and political tumult” in the buildup to the Troubles. The “affectionate portrait” of nine-year-old Buddy lies at the centre of this film, critic Robbie Meredith noted. Yet as violence begins to escalate between communities in Belfast, Buddy’s small world begins to rupture and his family is forced to make some hard decisions.
The film’s release provides a timely prompt to examine the experience of those that lived through such a turbulent time in Northern Ireland. A period brought into sharp relief by renewed debates over borders on the island.
