Writer and director Kenneth Branagh's Belfast tells the semi-autobiographical story of a young boy (played by Jude Hill) growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles in the 1960s. The film captures the joys and fears of the time through the eyes of young Buddy and his family. Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe play Buddy's parents and Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench play his grandparents.
Screen Rant spoke to Hinds about making the personal film, his memories of the time, and how he chooses his projects.
Screen Rant: Congrats on this absolutely wonderful film. First of all, what does it mean to you to tell a story that people are loving? It's getting so much buzz. It's fantastic, but it's also from your part of the world, where you grew up.
Ciarán Hinds: Yeah, we do the work sometimes on a wing and a prayer, but you recognize that something has a real value. And you just hope that that value will be shared in a way that people will see. I believe Ken has made, you could say it's a parochial story, but in fact, it's an everyman story. Because families everywhere are under pressure, young boys growing up.
He's located it in Belfast I think because it's part of him; it's part of his psyche, his childhood, that he wanted, not to indulge himself, but to open in an international way. So far, it's really thrilling that people are connecting to the heart of the matter, and to the heart of the people. And then they see, "Well, those Belfast people, they're kind of strong, and solid, and funny, and weird, and full of life." And that's the truth.
But often what comes out in the news is more dark times in the North of Ireland, through the history of the last 30 or 40 years. So it's very important. I think this message was that we can share with the international community, kind of sold. And Van Morrison backing this as well.
There are all these pop culture references, which are straight out of Kenneth Branagh's childhood. I'm curious if there were any personal memories that came to light for you as a result of working on this film?
Ciarán Hinds: It's a beautiful moment in the film. You have this song called "Everlasting Love" by The Love Affair, which I remember very well, indeed. It was one of my favorite songs. But they were busted, I think, on Top of the Pops in 1969. When they went to play what everybody thought was live on Top of the Pops, and once a week, they played. But it wasn't because it was on a tape and they just mimed but they mimed out of sync, and it was the first time we saw it and that was the song that revealed that Top of the Pops wasn't a live show.
There are these moments in this movie that are really about escape and I was thinking because you've been a part of a lot of escapist stuff for people - Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Zack Snyder's Justice League - things people watch to escape and it made me wonder, do you have a box you feel is unchecked? Something you're like, "I would really love to be a part of this?"
Ciarán Hinds: No, I don't think so. I don't know. My mind doesn't work in that way. I never think of, "Oh, I want to play that role. I want to do this." My mind doesn't work that way. Sometimes, I prefer watching to doing. So, I kind of look around for things that might interest me, whether in screen or theater or books, and the idea of diving into something as a bomb, to the exigencies of life. I don't really have a go-to place except for maybe literature.
