This article is part of our series of articles Holiday series.

At the time of the Brexit vote, Netflix had included a mini-series in its offer, which could be read in part as an interpretation of the now-emerging Scottish and Northern Irish aspirations for independence from the United Kingdom. Five dividers The Irish public broadcaster RTÉ’s “Revolution” captures the dramatic events surrounding Dublin’s Easter Rising, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, from the perspective of many families. The focus is on the three young women at risk as they give different support to the freedom struggle.

What is “riot” about?
Beginning in Dublin in 1916, just before the Easter Rising eruption. Three friends initially find themselves in different aspects of the Anglo-Irish conflict: Tomboy Frances Oflaherty (Ruth Bradley) trains young men for the armed struggle against British rule under the guise of a Gaelic language school, and her friend Maylasi (Sarah Green) is a high-ranking secretary and relative. Her loyalty is tested when Francis asks her to retrieve secret documents from Dublin Castle, the British capital. Elizabeth Butler (Charlie Murphy), the daughter of a wealthy family, is the third medical student in the league. Her crown parents (Michelle Fairley and Ian McLaughlin) want to marry her to an MP, but her heart belongs to the socialist patriot Jimmy Mahon (Brian Gleason). While Jimmy and Elizabeth were at the forefront of a violent takeover of Dublin’s main post office, Jimmy’s brother Arthur (Barry Ward), a British Army soldier, was on the other side of the riot but internally divided. He recognizes the injustice done to his comrades by the occupying forces, but cannot leave the army because he has to feed his family. When the struggle for an Irish Republic fails, the British retaliate with insurgent measures and executions. Eventually, however, the Irish, who had been loyal until then, moved further away from British rule.

Backgrounds
At ആറ് 6 million, the miniseries is the most expensive drama series ever commissioned by Irish broadcaster RTÉ. For this, the broadcaster received a rating of 41% of TV families. However, in terms of content, the series was controversial because it required a lot of freedom in the presentation of historical events.

The actors are mostly unknown in this country. Only Michelle Fairley and Ian McElhini are allowed “Game of Thrones” will definitely be familiar to viewers. Barry Ward starred in Ken Loach’s last film, Jimmy Hall.

Who recommends “riot”?
Basically anyone who wants to see an exciting series based on an important event in recent history. “Rebellion” offers a variety of interesting characters and conflicts, which are often communicated through conversation. There is a lot of exciting action in both middle episodes. The screenplay is in favor of the Irish rebels fighting for independence, but also shows the general distinction between military conflicts and the suffering they cause, with emotional impact. In addition to the political plot, the series also sheds light on the personal relationships of the main characters, which sometimes threaten to move too far in the direction of a soap opera.

Also, the parallels with the current political situation in the UK are interesting. Here you can see what happens when one nation (the English) ignores the legitimate interests of another for self-determination. As is well known, the uprisings eventually led to the independence of the Republic of Ireland and thus the (further) collapse of the British Empire. Northern Ireland can only be brought to peace after decades of bloody conflict that threatens to erupt again after the Brexit vote. Another cruel question is whether the Scots will tolerate the fact that the majority of the English have once again ignored their interests. This means that the final disintegration of the UK is not an unrealistic situation today.

Availability
The miniseries are available on Netflix in German-speaking countries.