Thingsjust arent what they used to be! Or are they? And is that good, bad, or ugly? Nostalgie, a fiction short directed by Kathryn Ferguson, the Belfast-based filmmaker known for the likes of Sinad OConnor documentary Nothing Compares, will raise questions like that in your mind. And more!

A 1980s popstar receives a surprising invitation to perform, pulling him out of musical retirement and into a moral dilemma, reads a synopsis for the 19-minute short that stars Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, Kin, Mayor of Kingstown, The Wire). Jessica Reynolds (Kneecap) and Michael Smiley (Bad Sisters, Alien: Earth, The Lobster, Blue Lights) also feature in the film. Based on a short story by Wendy Erskine,Nostalgiewas written by Stacey Gregg and produced by Stille Productions and Tara Films Production, in association with Globe Originals and Hopefield. Co-financed by Film4, the executive producers were Lucy Pullin, Neil Chordia, Tim Clark, Amy OHara, Eleanor Emptage, and Ferguson. The producers were Kath Mattock, Marie-Thrse Mackle, and Marc Robinson, with editing by Mick Mahon and Edel McDonnell. Robbie Ryan served as the director of photography, with the songs and score courtesy of none other than Bastilles Dan Smith.

One of four shorts supported by Film4 at the 69th editionof theBFILondon Film Festival (LFF), it will world premiere on Friday, along with othershortsunder the theme Pulling the Rug Out.

Ferguson discussed Nostalgie, the weight of history, and why, despite her reputation for doc work, she is planning to make more fiction features.

How did you come on board to direct this fictional story after making a name for yourself in docs?

Well, Im Irish, obviously, and I had just made Nothing Compares, my feature documentary about Sinad OConnor. The producer in England reached out to me, saying: Have you thought about drama? And I said: Well, I would love to do it. But Im a documentarian, and obviously thats quite a long shot. But she said, Have you thought about drama? And have you read the work of Wendy Erskine? Wendy Erskine is an amazing Belfast born and bred writer. Im from Belfast. And I was basically sent her manuscript of a book of short stories that she had written a couple of years ago by the producer Kath Mattock.

So I spent a bit of time reading through this book, and all of her short stories are incredible. They are modern fables about Northern Ireland today, but it was Nostalgie that really jumped out to me, because it just felt so deeply cinematic and relevant. And because Id come off the back of making a film about an artist who often has had their work co-opted. Sinad was being tortured by Trump for many years, with him using her song [Nothing Compares 2 U]. So, Nostalgie just really spoke to me as a filmmaker. I thought its a very interesting take on this idea of music slipping out of out of ones hands. Lets try and bring this to life!

Did you ever envision it as a feature film?

Very much, it was a short for me. It was a really wonderful chance to be able to take such strong material and then work through the process. We managed to bring in this incredible script writer, Stacey Gregg, whos also from Belfast, and it was the process of working through this short with Stacey and Wendy. It just felt like a really self-contained story.

It was fascinating just to actually be part of that process and developing it from page to screen, which took a bit of time. And because its a film about these songs, about this musician, and about his words, we then had to write the songs as well. So that became a huge part of the creative process. And I worked with Dan Smith, whos the lead singer of Bastille, and Wendy to really come up with the right lyrics for this song.

Kathryn Ferguson To avoid spoilers, Ill just say I loved the music of the song, but then also got scared and horrified when I saw what happens with it

Well, it certainly needed to be that. It needed to be almost like a theme tune.

[SPOILER WARNING: The next question and answer contain spoilers!]

The protagonists song, we find out, is being used as an anthem of sorts by some people who have a past full of violence. Is that based on any real-life story?

The original story is based on the reality of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland taking very famous singers music and using it in this way. One example is Simply the Best: by Tina Turner, which is a theme song in Northern Ireland for a paramilitary group and has been for decades. It was this idea of taking something with such a catchy hook, and the lyrics being misconstrued.

How early on did you know that Aidan Gillen would play your protagonist, and what did you look for in the casting process?

We needed an actor who could stand up and sing. So that became a huge part of the casting process. And we were extremely fortunate to be able to get Aiden Gillen, an amazing piece of casting. He can sing, hes Irish. He is playing an Englishman, but understands the intricacies and complexities of this story. And then he was able to stand up and perform to a room of wild-eyed men. It was complicated enough trying to find the right person, but we were thrilled with Aidans performance. He was incredible!

The rest of the cast is also amazing

Yes, we had this incredible Northern Irish cast come on board. Jessica Reynolds, who just came off the back of Kneecap, and Michael Smiley. I just stood there thinking: How did this work out like this?? It was an extraordinary experience, truly, honestly. It was really thrilling.

Im curious: Do you plan to do more work in fiction and drama or are you going to return to docs? What are you working on next?

Im just finishing a new feature documentary at the minute, which will hopefully be out in early 2026.

Can you share any details or do you have NDAs to stick to?

I cant say much. But its a very natural step on from Nothing Compares.

Any fiction plans?

Yes, Im starting to write a script, starting to get a treatment done, basically, for a drama feature that I will eventually want to try and get off the ground. Yeah, just the experience I had on this short was so potent, and I really, truly find it thrilling and exciting. Its definitely whetted my appetite to do a lot more.

For more LFF 2025 shorts coverage, check out:

Sheep and Mob Mentality: Flock Writer-Director Mac Nixon Wants to Reframe Welsh Identity on Screen

and

Magid / Zafar Writer-Director Lus Hindman Sets the Beat to Explore South Asian Masculinity