Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST trailer brings family love to the beginning of The Troubles

Kenneth Branagh is back with a film set in and named after his place of birth, Belfast. Moviegoers will get a personal look at life in the Northern Irish city during the beginning of the 30-year conflict known as the Troubles and the heartbreak that it brings.

According to IndieWire, the film was actually shot during the pandemic, where filming started in September and ended in October. This is a personal film for the actor/director as he not only directed it but wrote it as well. So he must feel like this is his story to tell.

In the trailer we learn that the film is set in 1969, just as the Troubles are starting to take a violent turn. For those unaware of the conflict in Northern Ireland, those who were loyal to the United Kingdom and those who were loyal to Ireland clashed. Religion is also said to be a factor, with the Irish nationalists being Catholic and loyalist English being Protestant.

In August of 1969, it took a very bloody turn with riots breaking out between the two parties with loyalists being backed by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), essentially the police force in the area. The riots finally stopped in mid-August when the British military were deployed to the area but there was a great toll.

Ten people were killed, including a 9 year old boy while 745 others were injured. Families were forced to flee their homes. Branagh himself was 8 years old at the time of the riots, so obviously it impacted him deeply.

From the trailer it looks like the film will be in black and white during the 1960s while modern day (or more modern day) will be in color. It’s a nice touch to bring that older feeling to the film with simple color grating.

Check out the trailer and synopsis below:

"In his three decades of filmmaking, Kenneth Branagh has ushered us into Henry V’s campaign at Agincourt, Thor’s celestial chambers on Asgard, and murderous intrigues aboard the Orient Express. Branagh’s latest work unfolds in a much more real-world and familiar setting for the prolific actor, writer, and director. Named after the city of his birth, Belfast is Branagh’s most personal — and most affecting — film yet.A coming-of-age drama set during the tumult of late-1960s Northern Ireland, the film follows young Buddy (Jude Hill) as he navigates a landscape of working-class struggle, sweeping cultural changes, and sectarian violence. Buddy dreams of a glamorous future that will whisk him far from the Troubles, but, in the meantime, he finds consolation in his charismatic Pa (Jamie Dornan) and Ma (Caitríona Balfe), and his spry, tale-spinning grandparents (Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench).Its story rooted in blood ties, Belfast is also a family affair behind the scenes, as Branagh reunites with many long-time collaborators, such as production designer Jim Clay, director of photography Haris Zambarloukos, and editor Úna Ní Dhonghaíle. Together they’ve crafted a film that is characteristically meticulous in its evocation of a particular place and time, while Branagh’s superb cast fill every scene with energy, idiosyncrasy, and heart."

What do you think of the trailer? Will you be watching this one with tissues clutched in your hands? Let us know in the comments below!

Belfast debuts at the TIFF festival this weekend but will enter theaters nationwide on November 12th, 2021.