Synopsis:

The film explores the real-life experiences and cultures of a diverse cross-section of young people living in an interface area in Belfast. Kenny, a flautist in a loyalist band, Mei, the daughter of a Chinese restaurant owner, Ciaran, a young Catholic painter and his girlfriend Niamh are brought together by a series of events centered around plans for a cross-community carnival and the loss and eventual return of Kenny's traditional flute.

Plot
The story unfolds as Kenny and his mates treat themselves to a Chinese after a day out with their local Orange band. Inside the restaurant, racist stereotyping is quickly on the menu, much to Kenny's embarrassment, whilst outside, Ciaran is painting anti-band slogans. In the aftermath of a confrontation between the two groups, a bond quickly develops between Mei and Kenny and she accepts his phone number.

The flute becomes a point of contact between Mei, Kenny and Ciaran. It is also the focus of out-and-out violence between the Protestant and Catholic youths when Ciaran sets up an exchange between Kenny and his friend Martin who has taken the flute as a trophy.

The flute and the carnival create many opportunities for interactions between the characters who might otherwise never meet in this divided community. There are angry exchanges when Alec, a Protestant youth worker suggests that having an Orange band would be a good way to show Protestant culture at the carnival and Catholic committee members disagree. In the end, Niamh and Ciaran challenge their own prejudices and go to hear Kenny's band for themselves. The incident turns ugly when paramiltary gunmen arrive and they all narrowly escape with their lives. Kenny bravely refuses to leave Mei, Niamh and Ciaran to the gunmen and tragedy is averted when police arrive.

Ciaran recognises Kenny's bravery in sticking by them and he is determined that the carnival must go on. Kenny and Mei agree to help and join the committee. At the end of the film we see how both Kenny and Ciaran are better able to respect each other and their different cultures when the flute is returned and they shake hands. Kenny is delighted to get the flute back and Ciaran laughs, 'No problem'. Their exchange is an appropriate and symbolic resolution of the plot and its themes of identity and cultural expression.

Characters

Mei
Mei finds herself in the middle of two divided communities and at the centre of all the action. We see her struggling to assert her identity as a Belfast Chinese teenager in a variety of situations within her personal, family and school life. Her statement, 'Chinese don't get involved' adds extra depth to the themes of diversity and inclusion in the film. It also acts as a marker for the increased commitment she feels to finding her place as a young person in the community when, at the end of the film, she agrees to join the carnival committee.

Ciaran
Ciaran has good instincts but sometimes lacks understanding or courage to be guided by them. We see him easily influenced by Niamh, for good, and pressured by Martin into helping with a robbery. He is loving and funny and he also grows to be honest and wise. Events force him to challenge his prejudices, to develop his own values and to support Niamh at the end of the film. Handing back the flute to Kenny and wanting to come clean about his involvement in the robbery are clear signs of his growth and change.

Niamh
Many of the plot strands are connected and driven by Niamh's attempts to organise the cross-community carnival. Her character helps explore many of the political themes in the film. Her father is an ex-prisoner who supports the Peace Process. He wants change and he is involved with a Community Restorative Justice scheme that takes responsibility for sorting out the school robbery. Niamh is also directly affected by the robbery because she loses her exam coursework and in this way she indirectly helps Ciaran to take responsibility for his actions. After their ordeal with the gunmen, Niamh becomes very frightened and disillusioned with 'trying to change things', but with Ciaran's support she agrees to continue with the carnival plans.

Kenny
Our first impressions of Kenny himself are very positive. He is sensitive and embarrassed by his friends' racist taunts in the Chinese restaurant and he tries to challenge their behaviour. When the flute is taken from him, he tells Mei that he is in 'big trouble' as it belonged to his father and his grandfather before that. This is the start of their mutual attraction and understanding of each other. As Kenny comes into more contact with Niamh and Ciaran, Mei helps him to face up to some of his own prejudices and mistrust of Catholics. Throughout the film Kenny has conflicting feelings about his identity as a young Protestant. He is proud of his Protestant heritage but comes to realise the narrowness of his mother's relief that Mei is Chinese and not "a taig". Mei's wider experience of life beyond Ulster, and his interactions with Niamh and Ciaran, helps deepen Kenny's understanding about himself and his appreciation of other cultures.

Settings
The film is set in an interface area in inner city Belfast. Many of the harsh street locations bear the marks of cultural / political division and conflict that may seem unique only to Northern Ireland. However, the mean streets illustrate division at another level. In common with many other large cities, the landscapes of Belfast's residential, working-class areas are ugly and decayed in contrast to its glossy and bright commercial town centre. Severe outside environments, run-down school buildings and rubble-strewn alleyways all jar with the cosy and sympathetic interiors of people's homes. All of this hints at big social and political issues.