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>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK.
MY FIRST GUEST IS AN ACTOR, WRITER, AND DIRECTOR YOU KNOW
FROM FILMS SUCH AS "HENRY V," "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN," AND
"TENET."
HE'S WRITTEN AND DIRECTED A NEW FILM, "BELFAST."
>> I THINK MY DAD WANTS US TO LEAVE BELFAST.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT?
EVERY NIGHT, BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP, WHEN I SAY MY PRAYERS, I
ASK GOD IF HE'D FIX IT SO THAT WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
I'M THE BEST FOOTBALLER IN THE WORLD.
THEN I ALSO ASK HIM THAT WHEN I GROW UP, CAN I MARRY KATHERINE,
EVEN IF SHE LOVES RONNY BOYD.
SHE CAN STILL SEE HIM BUT SHE WOULD MARRY ME.
THAT'S WHAT I'D WANT.
>> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," KENNETH
BRANAGH!
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>> Stephen: HELLO.
HELLO, WHAT A GREAT CROWD.
>> Stephen: ISN'T IT LOVELY.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU, NICE TO BE BACK.
>> Stephen: I'M A VERY LUCKY MAN.
I GOT TO SEE YOUR FILM "BELFAST" A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT THE
MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL AND I DIDN'T KNOW I WOULD BE TALKING
TO YOU ABOUT IT.
I FOUND OUT NEXT DAY, SURE ENOUGH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE HERE.
IT IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE I'VE SEEN THIS YEAR, MY FAVORITE
MOVIE I'VE SEEN IN MANY YEARS.
IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND TENDER STORY OF THIS FAMILY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THIS FAMILY IN NORTHERN IRELAND CAUGHT IN WHAT
WAS CALLED THE TROUBLE STARTING IN 1969.
PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW HOW THIS STORY IS PERSONAL TO YOU.
YOU WROTE THE STORY, AND TELL THEM HOW SO.
>> WELL, I'M FROM THERE, I WAS BORN IN BELFAST AND I LIVED
THERE TILL I WAS NINE.
THE STORY OF THE FILM IS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME
WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD AND IN MY FAMILY.
WE ADVOCATE IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD.
WE LIVED ON ONE STREET WHERE MY FAMILY HAD MANY SIBLINGS, I HAD
MANY COUSINS.
IF YOU WEREN'T RELATED TO HALF OF BELFAST, YOU WENT TO SCHOOL
WITH THE OTHER HALF.
IT FELT AS IF YOU KNEW WHERE YOU WERE.
AND IN THE SUMMER OF 1969, VIOLENCE SPREAD ON TO THE
STREETS AND THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS HEARING A
SWARM OF BEES A LITTLE WAY AWAY.
IT WASN'T BEES.
I TURNED AROUND, LIFE GOT VERY SURREAL AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE
A CROWD OF RIOTERS COMING UP OUR STREET AND EVENTUALLY SMASHING
THE WINDOWS OF THE CATHOLIC HOUSES.
WE WERE PREDOMINANTLY PROTESTANT STREET BUT LIVING PEACEFULLY
WITH OUR CATHOLIC NEIGHBORS.
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
THE GROUND WAS LIFTED, PAVING STONES WERE PUT UP IN A
BARRICADE ON EITHER END OF THE STREET.
WE WERE WALKING ON SAND.
THE LIVING METAPHOR OF THE WORLD TURNING UPSIDE DOWN.
REALLY FROM THAT MOMENT, MY LIFE REALLY NEVER FOLLOWED ANY KIND
OF EXPECTED TRACK.
I MOVED SOMEWHERE, SOUNDED DIFFERENT.
IF I WAS SITTING HERE WITH YOU, I WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF I
STAYED IN BELFAST.
BUT IT'S A MOMENTOUS TIME OF LIFE I HADN'T FACED UP TO
PROCESSING UNTIL THE LOCKDOWN WE STARTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO
SENT ME RIGHT BACK TO THE LOCKDOWN CREATED WHEN THAT
VIOLENCE CAME AND STRUCK OUR FAMILY.
>> Stephen: THAT STRUCK A NERVE FOR YOU, THAT RESONANCE,
THAT FAMILY EXPERIENCE.
>> YES.
THE FAMILY WENT ON TO CODE RED, THAT WE UNDERSTAND FROM
LOCKDOWN.
WE TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE WHILE AGO, THIS IDEA OF THAT MOMENT OR
ANY MOMENT IN EVERYBODY'S LIFE WHERE MAYBE THE JESUITS SAY GIVE
ME THE CHILD TILL SEVEN AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE ADULT, WHERE MAYBE
THERE'S A CROSSOVER POINT OF INNOCENCE, IF YOU'RE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO HAVE A FAMILY AND BE SETTLED, YOU HAVE TO AT SOME
POINT ENTER THE ADULT WORLD.
MY VERSION OF IT WAS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, IT WAS VERY
DANGEROUS.
IT'S OFTEN VERY EXCITING.
ONCE IT HAPPENED, YOU HAD TO TRY TO NAVIGATE THE NEW WORLD THAT
WAS FULL OF WORRY.
YOU STARTED TO THINK OF A FUTURE YOU NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
YOU STARTED WONDERING IF YOU WOULD BE LIVING IN THE SAME
PLACE.
YOU LOOK FOR REFUGE ANY WAY YOU COULD AND IN MY CASE IT'S
RELIGION, NO GOOD FOR ME.
THAT DIDN'T WORK.
THEY LITERALLY PUT THE FEAR OF GOD IN ME AND TOLD ME THERE WERE
TWO ROADS WHEN I LEFT.
I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY WERE.
THERE WAS A LONG AND WINDING AND A STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
I GOT SO OBSESSED WITH IT THAT THAT SORT OF PARALYZED ME.
THE OTHER TWO OR THREE OBSESSIONS WERE FOOTBALL, A GIRL
CALLED KATHERINE AND MOVIES.
SO THAT'S WHERE I TRIED TO FIND A WAY OF MAKING SENSE OF THE
WORLD AT THAT TIME.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT DON'T GO AWAY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE KENNETH BRANAGH.
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