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As Kenneth Branagh's film Belfast opens, Beverley D'Silva explores how cinema has captured the unique essence of Northern Ireland's capital – in all its light and shade.

Northern Ireland – and its capital Belfast – has long provided filmmakers with rich material.

Shining a light on the region's political history are many powerful films about the Troubles – the sectarian conflict between mostly Protestant unionists (loyalists) who wished to remain part of the UK, and mostly Roman Catholic nationalists (republicans) who wanted Northern Ireland to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

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Each decade of the Troubles has produced its own take on the conflict.

In the 1970s, documentaries like Philip Clayton-Thom