71 '' ' '' is a 2014 British historical thriller film set in Northern Ireland , written by Gregory Burke and directed by Yann Demange . It stars Jack O'Connell , Sean Harris , David Wilmot , Richard Dormer , Paul Anderson and Charlie Murphy , and tells the story of a British soldier who becomes separated from his unit during a riot in Belfast at the height of the Troubles in 1971 . Filming began on location in Blackburn , Lancashire , in April 2013 and continued in Sheffield , Leeds , and Liverpool . The film was funded by the British Film Institute , Film4 , Creative Scotland and Screen Yorkshire . The film had its premiere in the competition section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival , held in February 2014 . The film was acclaimed by critics , with particular praise directed towards O'Connell 's performance and Demange 's direction
64th Berlin International Film Festival
64th Berlin International Film Festival
'71 (film)