It’s great to see Northern Ireland featuring as such a ubiquitous backdrop for so many productions these days. But it’s even better when the storylines capture issues unique to these shores and the people who live here – like the Oscar-winning An Irish Goodbye or the recent Kneecap biopic.
The Unholylands, shown as part of Belfast Film Festival, is a film based around the inner-city residential area of Belfast known as the Holylands. This moniker relates to the street names (eg, Carmel Street, Jerusalem Street) which were supposedly inspired by the developer’s trip to Egypt and Palestine in the 1890s.
The area has since become something of a ‘mecca’ (excuse the pun) for students and is renowned for the wild partying ways and sometimes antisocial behaviour of many residing there.
The Unholylands is a captivating coming of age comedy from Fermanagh film-maker Paddy Duffy. It follows law students and stepbrothers Michael (Ciaran McCourt) and Scott (Peter Jeffries) as they prepare to graduate from university and relinquish their crowns as the self-professed ‘kings of the Holylands’.
Early on in the film the pair are given a sobering ultimatum from their father to put their partying past behind them or risk never working at the family law firm. But of course the dynamic duo decide to throw one last party anyway which snowballs into a night of confrontation, confession but also great craic.
More: The Unholylands: “Filming in the Holylands couldn’t have gone any smoother”
From the snappy comebacks and boyish banter to the physical comedy on display (for which an honourable mention must go to Sean Daly who plays insufferable Oxford graduate Alistair), the film is a riot in more ways than one.
In a way, The Unholylands feels quite satirical with the plot representing the sort of mad stories you might have heard about through grapevine whilst at university but never managed to experience yourself. It’s these hyperbolic elements which make the movie reminiscent of the likes of The Inbetweeners or The Young Offenders.
However, despite the film appearing to feed into the Holylands’ well documented reputation as a rough and rowdy student area, there’s a universal relatability hiding underneath.
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Many films within this particular genre often depict university as a time of self-discovery, growth and maturity. However, Duffy and his team offer an alternative perspective, instead choosing to focus on the uncertainty that comes with growing up and highlighting the fears and anxieties most students face following graduation.
In particular there’s a rather poignant scene between Michael and Scott whilst they’re hiding in a bathroom (fairly standard for a party in ‘the lands’) where Scott admits to feeling lost and only throwing house parties in order to feel like “the man” and have some kind of purpose because he has no idea who he wants to be.
It’s an emotional scene brilliantly crafted by Duffy and played out by McCourt and Jeffries, whose chemistry is obvious on-screen.
Based on Duffy’s own experiences of living in the area, the film has an authenticity and vulnerability to it which will make most former students nostalgic for their uni days whether or not they’re familiar with the notorious south Belfast hotspot.
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@the_irish_news Belfast-made comedy film 'The Unholylands' premiered at the Odeon Victoria Square last night as part of Belfast Film Festival. The movie, which follows two stepbrothers navigating student life in Belfast's infamous Holyland area, features local talent and cameos from James Nesbitt, Nathan Carter, and Tyrone McKenna. #northernireland #irishnews #fyp #belfast
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During the Belfast premiere I asked Duffy, McCourt and Jeffries to describe the film in one word – all of them gave me two. Unflinching in their response they said a “heartfelt riot” – a succinct summation I would be inclined to agree with.
It’s a well-made, slightly edgy and emotive piece of cinema but also a very easy watch. Perfect if you’re in the mood to relieve the good ole days without having to worry about a hangover or what state you may find your car in the next day…
Earnest, funny, fresh and packed with inimitable local banter, The Unholylands is set to come out next year.
