Michael Longley’s poetry has had a deep influence on Keane since he reported from Belfast in the 1980s.
The 40-minute documentary was filmed in Longley’s homes on the Lisburn Road in Belfast and Mayo.
Fergal Keane first discovered Michael Longley’s work through his wife who was studying at Queen’s University in the 80s.
He recalls: “For me Longley’s poetry rescued the dead from the land of statistics. It was his voice that caught me first - generous and tolerant.”
The Belfast poet talks about the inspiration which led to some of his best known works including 'Butchers', a poem which Fergal Keane reveals he came to appreciate in a new way when he reported from the killing fields of Rwanda in 1994.
Longley reveals he had considered leaving Belfast after receiving death threats in the 1970s, but how his own self confessed stubbornness and real love for the place have kept him here.
He says: “I love Belfast, it is home, it’s where I grew up and I still tend to find other places two-dimensional.” Both men also talk about their own personal battles with alcohol and the effects this had on their respective families and work.
Producer Stephen Douds said: "Fergal Keane is one of the BBC’s most distinguished foreign correspondents, covering all sorts of major international conflicts. But through it all, one thing has kept his sanity - the work of Michael Longley. In this revelatory documentary, Keane uncovers Longley’s importance as a writer, a voice of reason and a man intensely committed to his home city of Belfast."
Michael Longley was recently appointed Professor of Poetry for Ireland and takes up this post with his first lecture at Queen’s University early next month. Keane on Longley is on Tuesday, January 22 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.35pm.