Kenneth Branagh on Van Morrison's contribution to Belfast: "Van was an excellent collaborator"

In an extract from an upcoming interview with Hot Press – set to appear in our next issue – Kenneth Branagh opens up about working with Van Morrison on the award-winning new film, Belfast.

The film, which was written and directed by Branagh, is set in late '60s Northern Ireland. Featuring a star-studded ensemble cast, including Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds and newcomer Jude Hill, Belfast received seven nominations at the Golden Globe Awards – with Branagh winning the award for Best Screenplay.

Universal Pictures Ireland

The film's soundtrack is filled with songs from Van Morrison – which, as he told Roe McDermott for Hot Press, was an early dream of Branagh's.

“I did write to him, and then he telephoned, and sort of auditioned me as it were,” Branagh said. “I think he wanted to know my intentions were honourable, and that we wouldn’t mess with his sound. But ultimately, he let us do some remixing for the soundtrack of some of the master recordings. He also wrote us a new song, ‘Down To Joy’, which opens the film – it’s magical. He came to see cuts of the film and offered notes. Van was an excellent collaborator, and the many, many people who had warned me that he would be a very grumpy soul, turned out to be incorrect in this instance! (laughs).

“He came to the premiere, and it was so great to see him there," he continued. "He was a great cultural ambassador for that part of the world, at the time of the events of this film. So although there’s beautiful music in all parts of the island, and contemporary and many other classics, it was hard to think of doing a film about Belfast without acknowledging that particular voice.”

Belfast is in cinemas from this Friday, January 21. Read the full interview with Kenneth Branagh in the next issue of Hot Press.