The Long Memory (1971)

This is quite a telling documentary looking at some of the history behind the troubles that have historically dogged Northern Ireland. Starting with a basic history lesson, we learn a little of the English traders who usurped the local landowners and who took control of the island, installing a Protestant faith on a largely Catholic population. As that history evolved into modern day life, we see the resultant segregation in what’s still a part of the British state, but one where people of both faiths cling onto their traditions and are prepared to resort to violence to ensure they succeed - either nationalist or republican. The archive makes for depressing viewing as the bombs affect indiscriminately and the army patrol the barbed wire barricaded streets full of burned out houses and smashed windows. There is some optimism as inward investment might bring jobs and housing and those are starting to be allocated on merit rather than the flag you fly, and with the young children clearly the road to peace it concludes with a hope that perhaps by the time they grow to adulthood these events of the distant past can be replaced by more positive and integrated approaches to life. The narration is delivered from a fairly pro-British perspective but it’s the imagery that strikes home most effectively as it depicts nature and harmony as an alternative to ruins and bonfires. It’s lightweight and those living through these times would probably see it is an overly simplistic attempt to analyse centuries of festering hatred, but maybe by taking that approach it might make some of their grudges seem less relevant when there’s no work nor food on the table.