At a time when tensions have risen in Northern Ireland, Kenneth Branagh presented his film “Belfast”, a love letter to his hometown that moved viewers at the Toronto film festival.
Inspired by his personal story, this dramatic black and white comedy, which will premiere in November in the United States and in December in Latin America, recounts the outbreak of violence in the British province in the late 1960s through the eyes of Buddy, a nine year old boy.
It was at that age that Branagh and his family moved to England to escape from “The Troubles” – “The problems” -, as the Northern Irish conflict was called.
“A story like this tries to show that even in the midst of chaos and violence, this city has incredible qualities,” the actor and director told AFP on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The people of Belfast “have overcome an incredible amount of challenges” that still continue, he added.
Northern Ireland has been rocked in recent months by violence unprecedented in several years after Brexit undermined a fragile peace.
The acts of violence have resurrected the specter of the Northern Irish conflict and its 3,500 deaths, which for three bloody decades pitted Republicans, mainly Catholics in favor of reunification with Ireland, and Protestant trade unionists, fervent defenders of belonging to the United Kingdom.
From the first scene, the viewer is immersed in the violence of the time: in the summer of 1969, a group of Protestants attacked Catholic families to force them to leave the streets where both groups lived together. British troops are deployed and Buddy’s father faces the difficult decision to emigrate with his family.
– Humor –
“The fear of bombs every weekend when we try to meet our friends in the city … those kinds of things that have become so normal to us seem crazy in hindsight,” recalls actor Jamie Dornan, who he also grew up in Belfast.
“Unfortunately, there will always be ‘problems’ in Northern Ireland,” adds the actor, known in particular for having played one of the leading roles in the blockbuster film “Fifty Shades of Gray.”
But in “Belfast,” the violence is tempered in part by the gaze of the boy (Jude Hill), who only partially understands the seriousness of the situation. And the film also eases the tension with the use of humor.
The feature film, which was cheered by Toronto audiences and seen by some critics as a good candidate for the Oscars next year, is also notable for its all-star cast: Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe and Ciaran Hinds.
Branagh, with an eclectic career spanning from Shakespeare adaptations to the superhero movie “Thor,” says “Belfast” has been maturing for decades. But it was the first pandemic lockdown in England that finally gave him the opportunity to write it.
“The threat of this dangerous virus that locked us up, I think it made us all very introspective,” said the British director.
This edition of TIFF, one of the great film events in North America, featured Hollywood stars for the first time in two years due to the covid-19 pandemic.
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