The Belfast Film Festival revved up a gear last night with the Northern Ireland premiere of TT3D: Closer To The Edge.

First-time director Richard de Aragues’s gripping documentary goes behind the scenes of the world-famous Isle of Man TT motorcycle race.

With an average of five deaths per mile, the TT is not for the faint-hearted. Racing along public roads on bikes just inches apart, there is an inbuilt dramatic tension to the story.

We learn about the riders’ superstitions, home lives, and fascinating psychological aspects.

After a crash that claims the life of a rider, would-be champ Guy Martin shrugs: “No one’s making us do ’owt.”

There is some vintage footage of Ulster racing legends Joey and Robert Dunlop.

TT3D: Closer To The Edge takes the viewer on a wild journey into man’s obsession with speed and the will to win.

ANDREW JOHNSTON