Belfast Trailer Kenneth Branagh Directs Most Personal Film Yet

The drama follows a young boy (Jude Hill) growing up with swinging working-class parents (Jamie Dornan and Catriona Balfe) amid the social and cultural tumult of late-1960s Northern Ireland. Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds play his grandparents. Here’s the synopsis from TIFF:

Branagh shot the movie during the pandemic, beginning in September 2020 and wrapping up in October. He also wrote the film, which features cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos, who has shot most of Branagh’s recent films. 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.