A Proud Moment for Belfast in the Spotlight
An actor from a Belfast-based short film has expressed her pride in being part of the production after it won an Irish Film and Television (Ifta) award. The film, titled Nostalgie, took the Best Short Film prize in the live action category on Friday night. In addition to this achievement, Nostalgie has also been nominated at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) awards, which are set to take place on Sunday.
Jessica Reynolds, who is among a large cast of local actors in the film, said that the recognition is a significant moment for Belfast. She noted that international audiences are beginning to show more interest in stories from Northern Ireland due to their unique nature.
Nostalgie, starring Dubliner Aidan Gillan, follows the story of a faded 1980s pop star making his first visit to Northern Ireland. The home-grown production is based on a short story by Belfast author Wendy Erskine and was directed by another Belfast woman, Kathryn Ferguson.
“I’m a very small part of Nostalgie but I’m just so thrilled for Kathryn,” Reynolds told Pasarmodern.comNews NI. “I think she is someone to really look out for. What she’s created from her first fiction film is quite astounding, it’s such a beautiful short.”
Reynolds, who spent her schooldays in Holywood, County Down, has previously appeared in productions such as Outlander, The House of Guinness, and Kneecap.
The Story Behind Nostalgie
Nostalgie tells the fictional tale of Drew Lord Haig, an aging English pop star who enjoyed success in the 1980s but has since faded into obscurity. He is lured out of retirement by an unexpected request to perform at an anniversary gig in Northern Ireland. Hoping to relive his glory days, Drew agrees to perform without asking many questions.
The invitation comes from a Belfast paramilitary organization marking its centenary. After playing his best-known hit, the audience appears unmoved. However, when the opening bars of the song’s long-forgotten B-side — Nostalgie de la Boue — begin, the crowd erupts in excitement.
Later, Drew learns why — the battalion had adopted his song during the Troubles and used it as a rallying cry. The film features original songs by Dan Smith, the frontman of Bastille.
Music and Control: A Thoughtful Reflection
Nostalgie‘s author, Wendy Erskine, said that the idea of music and who “controls” it fascinated her. She pointed to the example of Tina Turner’s song Simply The Best, which is used by loyalist groups in Northern Ireland.
“What would Tina Turner think? Did she ever know how that song might have been reappropriated?” she wonders.
Erskine emphasized that authors often lose control when their stories transition from the page to the screen. However, she is thrilled with the film version of Nostalgie.
“It’s better than I had imagined it in my mind when I was writing this story,” she said. She added that the core cast and crew being locals helped in understanding how the film should look and how its characters should speak.
“You could get a very exceptional person who is not from here but who is able to pick up on the nuances of things, for sure that could happen. But… I knew it would be in really good hands with everybody who is from here, who would understand the atmosphere that I was trying to get,” Erskine said.
“For me, it was brilliant that it was able to work out like that.”
An ‘Englishman’s View’ of Northern Ireland
The film’s director, Kathryn Ferguson, has been delighted by the audience reactions while attending screenings of Nostalgie in Great Britain. She noted that people actually got the stoic Belfast humor.
“There was a concern, I guess, that that might be lost on people, but that seems to have landed which is great,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson now lives in England, having left her native Belfast more than 20 years ago. She said one of the things that interested her about Erskine’s story was exploring the views of “an Englishman” to modern-day Belfast.
She mentioned that Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as a whole are experiencing a cultural resurgence, particularly over the water. However, she added that there is a lack of understanding about where this cultural movement is coming from and what is driving it.
Ferguson explained that she felt there has been a certain “apathy” towards Northern Ireland and its “post-conflict histories.” Nostalgie offers a “sideways” look at the result of that apathy.
“I guess all of that to me was very potent to explore as a filmmaker. It’s been fascinating showing the film in England.”
Looking Ahead to the Bafta Awards
The Bafta Awards 2026 will take place on Sunday, 22 February, and a full list of Bafta nominations can be found here. The director of Nostalgie has expressed surprise at the film reaching the first stage of the Bafta awards.
