Directed by David Hammond, this three-part documentary sees Brian Keenan reflect on his childhood, growing up in East Belfast, and the extent to which it shaped his sense of identity. Aside from Keenan, various members of the unionist and nationalist communities in Northern Ireland ponder the question of identity and share their opinions on 'The Troubles'.
Against a backdrop of loyalist murals, Keenan introduces the programme with a powerful observation, "The Troubles are real, the war is long, for some people 25 years long. It began in 1969, when British troops entered a province, in an attempt to stifle what seemed to be an impending explosion of sectarian fire". As Keenan acknowledges, his thoughts and feelings regarding the situation in of Northern Ireland were, perhaps, heightened by the five years he spent in captivity, in Beirut.
Various topics and points of view are explored throughout the programme. The writer, Glenn Patterson, originally from Belfast, moved away for a number of years but has recently returned to the city. He expresses his weariness, in hearing the same old quarrels and how he grew up with an acceptance or, even, an expectation of death. The desensitizing impact of the conflict and the diminishing of empathy, is just one of the impacts that he observes.