ARINS: The Trouble with representing the Troubles in Cinema

The Royal Irish Academy

In this month’s ARINS podcast Rory Montgomery speaks to Professor Pat Brereton from DCU’s School of Communication and Des O’Rawe from the School of Arts, English and Languages and the Mitchell Institute at QUB about the trouble with filming the Troubles and Northern Ireland. Drawing on Professor Brereton’s article on Troubles and Northern Ireland: Representations in Film of Belfast as a Site of Conflict and Dr. O’Rawe’s response addressing the smoke and mirrors approach to filming conflict. Brereton's 'Teases out the Allusions' takes our understanding further. Together Brereton and O’Rawe interrogate the ways in which we view and represent ourselves and each other in film. The discussion explores how three films, Belfast, 71, and Odd Man Out, exhibit the way in which film plays with innocence, representation, fractional identity, conflict, cliché, and nostalgia. By examining the way film can adopt and adapt historical narratives and often reimagine history, we can determine not only the ways in which cinema is propaganda but also the ways in which we process and understand conflict. Prof Brereton’s article on Troubles and Northern Ireland: Representations in Film of Belfast as a Site of Conflict: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/423/article/856565 Dr O'Rawe's response, Smoke and Mirrors: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/423/article/859216 Prof Brereton's reply, Teasing out Allusions: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/423/article/859217 This is episode 20 of a podcast series that provides evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. Host Rory Montgomery, MRIA, talks to authors of articles on topics such as cross border health co-operation; the need to regulate social media in referendums, education, cultural affairs and constitutional questions and the imperative for good data and the need to carry out impartial research. ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at www.arinsproject.com. ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs.