Yann Demange’s thriller ’71 tells the story of a young English soldier’s experiences as Belfast erupted into sectarian violence. We speak to three people for whom the experience of watching it was a cathartic event

Jack O’Connell, stars as a young British squaddie lost in the mayhem of 1970s Belfast at the height of the Troubles in Yann Demange’s thriller ’71.

ANTHONY MCINTYRE
REPUBLICAN EX-PRISONER
Anthony McIntyre. Anthony McIntyre.

“The impact of ’71 was immediate. To use the well-worn phrase, a journey back in time. The screen immediately saturated my mind with powerful ambience and stunning effect, both visual and audible.

“1971 was a time when fear and excitement stalked Belfast streets in equal measure. The death of a soldier or a member of the RUC was hailed with a joyous punch of the air; the deaths of IRA volunteers with aggrieved solemnity. British state violence was rampant. Civilians died…