The Journey

In October 2006, the Northern Ireland peace process is debated in St Andrews, Scotland. Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness meet for the first time and begin negotiations. They carry deep-seated distrust toward each other, setting a tense tone for the talks.

Bad weather closes the nearby airport, so the plan is to drive Paisley to another airport for a private jet. McGuinness agrees to the change but only if he travels in the car and plane with Paisley. The mood remains practical yet wary as diplomacy begins under pressure.

Unbeknownst to them, MI5 is monitoring the car with spy cameras and a microphone. They communicate with the young driver, who is given leeway to speak to passengers and prompt discussion. The two men stay guarded as the journey continues.

The driver takes a diversion into a forest, triggering suspicion as the security detail departs. The van brakes hard and slides into a stack of timber, puncturing a tyre. The driver claims to have hit a deer, but Paisley and McGuinness see no blood on the car.

While walking in the woods, the two enemies continue to argue their points and defend their actions. McGuinness wonders if the trip has been planned to end in assassination, and both weigh the risk of violence. They discover a fatally wounded deer and grapple with the moral implications of what they are discussing.

The two reach a disused Protestant church where Paisley points to martyrs in the stained glass, citing Foxe's Book of Martyrs. They wander to a nearby cemetery and discuss the Enniskillen bombing. Paisley rages at the IRA while McGuinness reveals a private moment about the bombing that unsettles him, and Paisley accuses him of crocodile tears.

The heated argument convinces McGuinness that there is no point continuing, and he refuses to re-enter the van. Paisley acknowledges that his own 'bark' can be worse than his bite, hinting at a possible willingness to seek peace beneath the surface. The tension lingers as they move on toward the airport.

The journey nears the airport and they stop at a service station to refuel. The driver's credit card is bent and initially fails, risking a delay. Paisley uses his public presence to persuade the clerk to retry the number, and it works, allowing them to continue toward the jet.

The driver confronts McGuinness and Paisley, admitting he is an MI5 operative tasked with protecting them and guiding a peaceful conversation. He explains that his agendas are peaceful and aimed at dialogue, not harm. McGuinness tries to relay the point to Paisley, but the news underscores the fragility of their trust.

Paisley collapses in the van with angina, and McGuinness helps him retrieve his medication and settle him down. The moment shifts the balance of control back to the elder statesmen, underscoring the human cost of the political theater. The two men lean on each other as they press toward a possible breakthrough.

Paisley gazes at the stained glass and reflects on his own potential martyrdom and how peace might come without violence. McGuinness challenges him to consider the sacrifices required on both sides, emphasizing the arduous path to reconciliation. They discuss the long game of peace and what it would mean for their people.

The van reaches a secure airport hangar where a private jet waits under heavy protection. Paisley issues an ultimatum: he will back the peace accords if McGuinness offers an apology for IRA actions. McGuinness refuses, insisting that apologising would betray his principles, and the two part with a tense but hopeful handshake.

The conflicting leaders shake hands as friends, acknowledging their mutual enmity but choosing to press forward for peace. The film ends with real photographs of Paisley and McGuinness working together as Northern Ireland's leaders. The handshake marks the sealing of the peace process, if only symbolically.