The flats

Presented by: Alessandra Celesia

Joe lives in a block of flats in the Catholic area of Belfast. Every time he steps outside with his dog, he carries the weight of the past: years of conflict, violence and death that claimed thousands of lives. His body, voice and emotions are constant reminders that the conflict he endured as a child, teenager and adult has not truly been left behind, despite having officially ended long ago. Through his way of speaking and seeing the world, Joe reveals how violent conflicts and wars leave a profound, lasting mark beyond the fading echoes of gunfire. Cinema becomes a tool for him to confront his traumas and attempt to look toward the future with a glimmer of hope.