True Stories 54: 20s—Belfast

Last week’s look at tick, tick… BOOM! gave us a look at a main character, based on a real person, who was trying very hard to become the person he wanted to be but was beset by obstacles everywhere he turned. But the key is, he knew what he wanted to be and he was in the right place to aim for it.

This week’s film is about a family and, in particular, a young boy who don’t really know exactly what they want in life, but know that, living where they do, their choices are limited. So the dilemma becomes a big one—do you give up home and family ties in one country for the promise of a better life in another country… with, of course, no guarantees that you WILL be getting that better life.

This is, of course, the dilemma of anyone who has broken away from the familiar in the hopes that the new place/new life will offer something better. And it takes tons of courage to actually do this.

That dilemma is at the center of Belfast [2021] by Kenneth Branagh, an incredibly evocative film of the 60s in Northern Ireland.

Branagh based the film on his own memories of his family’s dilemma as he was growing up in Belfast. The tension between protestants and Catholics often erupted into violence and his father, who worked abroad, was worried for his family.

Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja3PPOnJQ2k

The film is told mostly through the eyes of 9-year-old Buddy. And when there’s talk of moving to England, his grandfather says to remember that “You’re Buddy from Belfast. Where everybody knows ‘ya.” And that’s an accurate description of his place in Belfast. At least, from Buddy’s point of view, he’s pretty much friends with everyone. But the price of being in a place torn by civil unrest between two groups is that even a young child feels compelled—in fact, desires—to be a part of it, to take sides… like it was a sports match or something.

Have you ever thought of writing an autobiographical film? Belfast is a good model for one way to do it. Notice how it doesn’t attempt to tell a years-long life story—it just shows us a few months when things came to a head and prompted some true soul-searching on whether to stay or to go. Is there a pivotal time in your life that’s worth a film? If so, it needs to be something truly compelling, something that anyone can relate to… something universal.

If you have such an event, go for it. And study Belfast because it’s textbook perfection on how it’s done.

Copyright © Diane Lake

25Jun23

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