Hot on the heels of their success in bringing Hollywood star Martin Sheen to Belfast for the premiere of his latest film, The War at Home, the West Belfast Film Festival has scored another double.

Film festival organisers have succeeded in bringing Tom Berenger to the city along with the world premiere of One Man's Hero, the story of the famous San Patricio Battalion, which will be screened in West Belfast as part of the festival.

Tom Berenger, who plays the lead in One Man's Hero, has a string of big screen hits including Platoon and The Field.

One Man's Hero is set in the last century, in the 1840s, during the war between the United States and Mexico, which the Mexicans finally lost and in defeat lost California, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona to the United States. In effect, the U.S. colonised almost half of Mexico's national territory. However, it is the story of the Saint Patrick's Battalion, or the San Patricios, that is the movie's main focus.

The battalion, which fought on the side of the Mexicans during the war, was made up mainly of Irish men who had `deserted' from the U.S. Army.

Their desertion, however, was not born out of cowardice but of protest against the sectarian and anti-Irish attitude of their senior officers, who were mostly of English, Protestant lineage.

Led by Sergeant Riley, who is played by Berenger in the film, the men joined the Mexican army; partly persuaded by promises of Mexican citizenship and a safe haven they formed the San Patricio Battalion.

Fighting on the side of Catholic Mexico in those circumstances seems to have been a logical choice for men who had decided that enough was enough. When captured after the battle of Chapultepec, those members of the battalion who `deserted' after the war began were hanged, while Riley, who deserted before the war, escaped the death penalty but was lashed and branded with a D on his cheek.

That this film's theme, one man's hero is another man's traitor, has echoes of the position in which so many Irish people have found themselves, is no coincidence.

Many an Irish person has found themselves on the end of a British rope having been charged with treason against the crown, proof positive that not only do the victors write the history they write the laws also.

This film took almost 30 years to make delayed by the modern McCarthyism of the right wing Reagan era, that it has finally been made may be a sign that America is prepared to look at it's bloody past.

North Belfast craic attack

With all the attention focused on the West Belfast festival, it is easy to forget about two of Belfast's other great festivals; the Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoil and the Greater New Lodge Community Festival, both in the north of the city.

Whether you want concerts, drink, political debate or something for the children, both events will satisfy all tastes and needs. Events in Ardoyne will be overshadowed by the death of Margaret Scullion, who was Chairperson of the Fleadh Committee until her death in June. However, no one more than Maggie enjoyed the craic at the Fleadh and this year's event promises to be one of the best, with a tribute night to her on Saturday 31 July at C.J. Spinners GAA Nite Club.

In Ardoyne, the Gig-Rig will be out a total of ten times, with live acts and competitions for all the family. The increasingly famous open air concerts with the best of talent from Ireland and abroad, including singer Dolores Keane, Irish American band Blackthorn, Derry act The Whole Tribe Sings and the great DeDannan, who will be playing with guest appearances from Eleanor Shanley, Martin O'Connor and a world exclusive appearance from the Harlem Gospel Singers, all the way from the US of A.

On the drama side, Tongue `N' Cheek will be giving two performances of a new play written by local writer Joe Donnelly and the Fleadh will also be visited by two other groups: Dubblejoint Productions will be performing their award winning play by Lenadoon writer, Pearse Elliot and the Derry Repertory Theatre will perform a play by Ron Hutchinson.

On the more serious side, there have been two political discussion events organised in relation to the area. One focuses on the Forgotten Victims, which highlights the fact that the real forgotten victims are the relatives of those killed. This discussion will be held on Monday in the Jamaica Inn on Monday 2 August at 7.30pm.

There will also be the now famous Guider Grand Prix.

The New Lodge Féile this year enters its fifth year. One of the highlights of the festival is the guided tour by bus of the battlefields of 1798 throughout County Antrim and County Down at a cost of just £2.

Once again, there will be something for everyone, from open air discos and concerts, including a gig by Brush Shiels, to serious political debate involving political figures from the UDP, PUP, Womens Coalition, Sinn Féin and the SDLP.

The Ardoyne Fleadh runs from 31 July to 8 August while the New Lodge Féile will be running from 4 August to 8 August.

More information can be obtained from the New Lodge Community Festival Office, tel: (01232) 743331, or the Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoil Office, tel: (01232) 751056.