I Am Belfast

In this dreamlike evocation of Belfast from director Mark Cousins (6 Desires: DH Lawrence and Sardinia, Here Be Dragons) the city is a 10,000-year-old lady who takes you on an emotional journey through the rich, complex and often tragic history of the place. Cousins’ talent at finding beauty in the mundane and composing painterly pictures of what lies before his eyes are skilfully interspersed with film clips and archive footage. The powerfully evocative soundtrack by great Belfast DJ and film composer David Holmes (Ocean’s Eleven, Hunger, ‘71) mixed with Cousins’ poetical narration give the film its dreamlike quality. From wandering through the streets, meeting jaunty pensioners Rosie and Maud, to the horrors of the Troubles, I Am Belfast is an impassioned, politically engaged and inventive love letter from Cousins to his hometown. And the striking cinematography by Christopher Doyle is the cherry on the cake. -  Laure Bonville