New post Troubles thriller examines Northern Ireland’s ‘uneasy peace’ | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

New post Troubles thriller examines Northern Ireland’s ‘uneasy peace’

What happens when old adversaries have to share power after 30 years of bitter violence?

A Belfast Story, a new post Troubles thriller, exploring the difficulties of life after the conflict, asks this question when it hits the screens on September 20th.

Written and directed by Northern Ireland man Nathan Todd, the film looks at the fallout from 30 years of violence and speculates on what the future will bring.

The first time writer/director assembled a veteran film crew with 24 Academy Award Nominations between them to make a gritty, good looking movie filmed on location in Belfast.

The film stars Colm Meaney as an old school detective asked to investigate a series of murders before he retires. Meaney brings a world weary presence to the central role, as a man whose daughter was killed during the Troubles and is now called upon to protect the people he once hunted down.

Set in the near future, Northern Ireland is undergoing an uneasy peace. The First Minister is the first from a Republican background. A series of murders of his former comrades threatens to destabilise the peace and plunge Northern Ireland back into civil conflict.

As the past catches up with former combatants, the film builds to an exciting climax and has an intriguing twist at the end.

Authenticity was guaranteed by the use of local actors, including Tim McGarry and Olivia Nash – Da and Ma from ‘Give My Head Peace’ – playing serious roles. McGarry is a nervous former bomber and Nash plays Meaney’s long-suffering wife.

The young writer/director managed to assemble a stellar film crew, which includes Editor and Hollywood veteran John Wright, who has been twice nominated for an Academy Award and whose work includes, Speed, the Incredible Hulk and the Hunt for Red October.

Nathan, who studied engineering at Queen’s University and juggled writing in the evening, said Colm Meaney and the crew were drawn to the film by the strength of the script.

“That’s how we got the whole crew,” he stated. “I called up Francois Archambault, who was Scorsese’s Cameraman on the multiple Academy Award winning The Aviator, and asked him to come across, you could hear the laughter over the phone, but in all fairness he called me back about a week later and still sounding shocked himself said ‘I read the script, loved it, send me a ticket and I’ll come over and shoot it for you’”.

A Belfast Story opens at on September 20. Further information is at www.abelfaststory.com

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=34545

Posted by on Sep 12 2013. Filed under Community, Politics, What's On. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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