In Belfast’s New Lodge district, the scars of the Troubles (the Northern Ireland conflict) remain deeply etched. Alessandra Celesia’s documentary The Flats follows Joe McNally, an aging republican haunted by his uncle’s murder at the hands of loyalists during the sectarian conflict. The film weaves together Joe’s search for catharsis through a series of dramatic re-enactments and personal stories from other residents grappling with ongoing violence, abuse, and drug problems. By capturing intimate portrayals and immersing spectators in the heart of the neighborhood, The Flats offers a raw and powerful look at how a community, still reeling from past horrors, continues to be shaped by historical trauma long after the conflict’s official end. (ME)

Co-presented by Lunenburg Doc Fest

The Flats