A new film titled I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, based on Keiran Goddard’s second novel, premiered at the Cannes film festival and has been adapted for the screen by director Clio Barnard with a script by Enda Walsh.
The story follows five childhood friends from a Birmingham housing estate whose lives diverge sharply following the demolition of their tower block. One character becomes a successful stock market investor who builds a new apartment complex on the site of the old estate, while others, including an idealistic graduate working as a delivery driver, struggle with economic precarity. The narrative examines themes of class mobility, housing inequality, and the lasting bonds of friendship against the backdrop of urban regeneration and economic change.
Barnard described the filmmaking process as challenging, noting that the source material consisted primarily of interior monologues with minimal dialogue. She framed the central conflict not as a clash between individual characters but as a struggle against systemic economic forces. The director emphasized the film’s exploration of working-class communities and noted her long-standing interest in depicting life on society’s margins.
Barnard has previously directed documentaries and dramas examining social hardship, including the 2010 film The Arbor and 2015’s The Selfish Giant. She indicated that recent projects, including this one, represent a conscious shift toward depicting hope and resilience despite difficult circumstances. She suggested that art itself can serve as a form of resistance against societal dysfunction.
Goddard expressed optimism about audience appetite for narratives centered on economic struggle, noting that such stories have expanded beyond traditional working-class audiences to include middle-class viewers facing similar precarity. He argued that the economic logic supports production of films reflecting the experiences most people actually live.
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