Stephen Nolan Ulster-Scots, My Family & Me

Taal: NL
Categorie: documentaire

Northern Ireland is a country obsessed by identity. On his radio show, Stephen Nolan frequently encounters this first-hand; British, Irish, European, Ulster Scots, Northern Irish, some identities seem to merge and shift while others remain constant, yet Stephen is unsure of his own. Stephen recognises himself as coming from a Protestant background but beyond a vague general feeling of "Britishness" he has never taken much heed, nor really cared. In this film, as Stephen looks into his own family history, he re-evaluates the importance of his own identity and as he learns the surprising truth about his roots. Perhaps it is his hectic, complex lifestyle that makes him interested in the intertwining double helix of family history and cultural identity or maybe there is something deeper - a need to discover what made him who he is? In this film, aided by a historian and genealogist, who provide vital clues about his ancestry, Stephen Nolan sets off on a journey of discovery, to learn more about where his people came from and how they lived. The focus of the film is a "deep dive" into Stephen's own family history. With expert help, he uncovers an unfolding story of hardship and grinding poverty which profoundly affects him. In the year when the latest census was taken and with ever growing numbers of people subscribing to more complex identities, Stephen Nolan re-evaluates his own sometimes controversial responses to Ulster-Scots language and culture as he learns the part both may have played in his family story. Producer: Paul Consiglia Director: Paul McGuigan