“Belfast” is a coming-of-age drama film written and directed by British actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh. This semi-autobiographical film about the director’s early childhood spent in Belfast, is a remembrance of his time there amidst the bitterness of political turmoil.
Set in the late 1960’s Northern Ireland, Buddy (Jude Hill) is a young boy from a working class family. When a mob enters the street where his family lives, attacking the homes that belong to Catholics, his parents realize that their once quiet neighbourhood, where everyone is like family, is suddenly changing.
In order to escape the conflict, Buddy’s father (Jamie Dornan) wants them all to move to England but Buddy’s mother (Caitríona Balfe), doesn’t want to go because both of them have lived in Belfast their entire lives. With an ailing grandfather (Ciarán Hinds), and a grandmother (Judi Dench) who won’t leave despite the dangers, Buddy struggles to understand what is best for the family, as what they all want is to lead peaceful lives.

“Belfast” was nominated for seven Oscars and it won Kenneth Branagh his first Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The music featured in this film is by Van Morrison which further elevates the movie artistically. This movie has been nominated for and won many awards and accolades for its portrayal of a young couple struggling to keep their family safe amidst "The Troubles", a decades-long period of violent unrest in Northern Ireland.