James Bluemel

When it comes to the Troubles, Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland composer Simon Russell keeps the score

Seven children pick through the partially burning wreckage of a bus and other large vehicle. Detritus, also ablaze in places, litters the street

As if decades of sectarian violence isn’t a tough enough topic, the documentary opts to tackle it without narration. The closest the programme has to a single guiding voice is the score, composed by Simon Russell.

When he meets for coffee, he has none of the pomp you might expect from someone whose music can navigate heavy topics with such lightfooted ease.