By Julie McLaughlin
A NEW movie by a Newcastle filmmaker tells the story of St Patrick’s life and looks at his strong links to County Down.
‘St Patrick: the Hidden Years’, which was released last month, explores the life of the famous saint.
‘This film follows Patrick from his privileged life in Roman Britain to his kidnapping by Irish raiders, years of slavery in pagan Ireland, deep conversion through suffering, miraculous escape, and eventual call to return to Ireland as a missionary,’ the EWTN website said.
The Eternal Word Television Network, or EWTN as it is more commonly known, is an American television channel that shows primarily Catholic and other faith-based programming.
Newcastle man Campbell Miller, who directed and co-wrote the film, hopes it is one that helps people better understand the person behind the myth.
“I’d really like people to understand that ‘St Patrick – The Hidden Years’ goes beyond simply retelling history.
“It explores the inner journey of a man shaped by hardship, isolation and ultimately by faith,” he said.
“We wanted to portray Patrick in a deeply human way, so that audiences can connect with him not just as a historical figure, but as someone who faced real struggles.
“At its heart, it’s a story of transformation, resilience, and hope.
“All of us, at some point in life, encounter moments that feel like rock bottom — whether through financial difficulty, illness, or personal loss.
“In those moments, faith and hope can become the one thing we hold onto, the quiet belief that things can improve even when everything feels uncertain.”
The docudrama had a special sneak preview screening on 15 March at The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick and premiered in the United States on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, on the EWTN TV network.
It is currently available to view locally on the EWTN.co.uk website and on YouTube on the ‘EWTN Great Britain’ page.
Campbell has directed a number of other films for the network, including ‘Faith of Our Fathers’ and ‘Speak of the Devil’.
The screenplay for the film was written by Campbell and his wife, author and lecturer Kristi Miller.
“The screenplay was a collaborative effort between myself and my wife Kristi. It was great to have an opportunity to work together on a project,” Campbell said.
“From the outset, we wanted to approach St Patrick’s story in a way that felt both historically grounded and dramatically engaging. Kristi brought a strong sensitivity to character and emotional depth, while I focused on the overall narrative structure and visual storytelling.
“It was a very organic process, with a lot of back-and-forth as we refined the script.”
The St Patrick docudrama was filmed locally in 2024 and 2025.
The local scenery of south Down in March and April of last year helped Campbell to recreate the settings and feel of St Patrick’s time.
“Ballykinler Training Camp was a key location for us, particularly because of its landscape and access to the shoreline, which really helped evoke the rugged, untamed feel of early Ireland and Roman Britain,” Campbell said.
“In addition to Ballykinler, we filmed across several locations in the area.
“We were very intentional about keeping the production as local as possible, both for authenticity and to showcase the natural beauty of the region.
“The majority of the forest scenes were filmed in Donard forest, with the help of NI Forest Service.”
In the full piece Campbell explained how local people helped to make the film special.
