Belfast

Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, this is a moving and crowd-pleasing memoir of his childhood growing up in Belfast, in 1969 at the start of the Troubles. From a Protestant family, with Protestant neighbours, little Buddy is as happy-go-lucky as they come: he loves Star Trek, play-acting and the pretty Catholic girl in his class. 

His charming Pa is a labourer, who works away in England during the week, returning to Belfast at the weekends to see the bills piling up and the neighbourhood disintegrating as barricades are placed at the ends of the street. An unfortunate business with the taxman leads the family to consider their futures elsewhere, leaving Ireland behind.  As all good families should – they find escapism in the Cinema – which serves to show Buddy that there is a whole wide world waiting for him beyond his city limits. 

“A twinkly-eyed childhood memoir – and rigorously fashioned to be an Oscar frontrunner.” Independent

“Kenneth Branagh has made a masterpiece.” The Times

12A: moderate threat, discrimination, infrequent strong language