Although the Northern Ireland conflict officially ended in 1998, its shadow looms long over the people of Belfast—especially those living in New Lodge, a decaying housing estate of massive blocks that never had a heyday. Alessandra Celesia's film follows individuals trapped in a time when loyalty was valued above life. Little has changed since those days: drug dealers have replaced freedom fighters, and young people are now dying of overdoses instead of gunshots. Violence remains endemic, and each resident grapples with it in their own way. The presence of the camera offers a rare opportunity to confront old traumas: death, pain, and the loss of loved ones. What must change for their lives to finally be freed from the grip of the past? 

Konrad Wirkowski