"Belfast" – Worksheet

Exercise 1: Introduction to "Belfast"

a) "Belfast" tells the story of Buddy and his family in the Northern Irish capital in the year 1969. Watch the following three clips and summarise what you learn about Buddy’s family, his day-to-day life, and his personal wishes. Make a note of your results.

b) Watch the first two clips again. Describe the Zum Inhalt: locations, the constellation of characters and the set design. Take notes.

c) Discuss the extent to which the following statements are accurate.

1. Buddy is growing up in a working-class district.
2. The family plays an important role.
3. The family comprises several (more than two) generations.

d) In class, compare your results from exercises a) to c).

e) Discuss possible reasons why the director, Kenneth Branagh, opted for Zum Inhalt: black and white pictures.

f) Discuss who is supposed to be the central character in Belfast. Base your analysis on the three scenes in exercise a).

g) Every feature film involves a conflict. In film dramaturgy, conflict does not necessarily imply a fight, rather conflicts of interest between the characters. What conflicts already manifest themselves in the three scenes?

During the screening:

h) Pay attention to the conflicts portrayed in the film and the perspective from which the story of "Belfast" is told. Write down bullet points immediately after watching the film.

After the screening:

i) Discuss in class what you found especially surprising or moving. Talk about what impressions the film’s Zum Inhalt: exposition made on you.

j) Compare the results of your discussions from exercise h).

k) Working in pairs, complete the following table. Refer to the results of your deliberations in exercise j).

Tip: You may not remember all the characters’ names. You can find them at Zum externen Inhalt: www.imdb.com (öffnet im neuen Tab).

l) Compare your conclusions in class. Discuss also whether there are conflicts not listed in the table.

m) Director Kenneth Branagh’s movie is partly autobiographical. Like Buddy, he was nine years old when his family left Belfast to live in England. Read the first paragraph of this Zum externen Inhalt: article (öffnet im neuen Tab) and summarise how his family and he dealt with the events of 1969.

n) Imagine you are in Buddy’s shoes. Like Kenneth Branagh, he goes to London to attend drama school at the age of 19 and to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His family still lives in the English town of Reading. Looking back, you write a letter from Buddy to his parents in which he describes how you/he experienced the various conflicts (political, economic, familial – cf. exercise k) ten years before as a nine-year-old.

o) Present your letters in class and give each other criteria-based feedback.