End of the Roads

In the aftermath of the London riots this summer, seemingly sparked by the Police shooting of Mark Duggan on August 4th, for all the media coverage none really made the slightest attempt to listen to the youth of Britain who were unflinchingly vilified. Not to condone for a second the looting and destruction that followed in the days after, but a production team called Kayalight studios are currently ‘in production’ of a documentary that (in the interest of democracy) allows the young people caught up in the fervour, to voice their opinions in an non-threatening environment.
Intrigued by the reasoning behind and process of making this film, I got hold of the main man at Kayalight, known simply as ‘ghin’ and tried to uncover a little more about what looks to be a very promising piece of documentary making.

Kollektivnye: So…End of the Roads is a film about the recent riots in London, although one that interestingly gives the youth a voice, what compelled you to show this side of the story?

ghin: I was compelled into making the film in this perspective after being in Hackney at time of the riots and bumping into a journalist friend who was working for Panorama.The way I could see he was being made to cover the story, made me decide to give a voice to a demographic that usually is and has again in this case been ignored, blamed, and portrayed in a negative way. I want this film to reach ‘Middle England’ so that they can see the reality of the illusion that surrounds them.

K: How did you approach those featured in the film? It seems that with the sensitive nature of the subject, it may well have proven difficult?

g: My friend who works creating youth programs got the ball rolling by putting me in direct contact with some of the youths you see in the film. Aside from that I have been living and working in Hackney for the past 13 years and say hi to people I see every day, so I had plenty of people around the community that I could ask if they knew anyone who wanted to talk. Once I had the first teaser cut I put it on my iphone and just showed it to people, who then wanted to get involved. 

K: Was gaining trust a big part of being able to drive the project forward?

g: Initially because I was a friend of someone they knew and trusted, it was really easy to arrange interviews, I just phoned up explained the concept of the film and they were interested to meet. Most of these people have never really have had anyone ask about their opinions before and I genuinely wanted to listen, the fact that I didn’t really ask any questions and just allowed them to speak their mind made them realise I wasn’t angling some sort of ulterior motive.

K: Were many of the interviewees concerned about their identity being revealed?

g: No-one has been worried about concealing their identities on camera, because none of the participants have done anything wrong. 

K: What was the general outlook regarding the police from those you spoke to, in the clip; they don’t seem a popular bunch at all?

g: Everyone in the film understands the concept and need for a police force for a society to function. However what is not understood as a consensus is why the police don’t seem to always follow the law themselves and the apparent lack of justice when it comes to the police being accountable for their own actions. There is a culture of resentment due to a sheer lack of professionalism and respect, with suspicion and hostility directed towards them by the police.  To which I can relate, in the past I myself have had the police force me out of a car face down onto the ground at gunpoint for absolutely no reason.

K: Did you experience any trouble from the law when filming at all?

g: I haven’t had any problems from the law while filming. I did however get caught up in a police raid when I had gone to meet with a potential interviewee. One officer actually tried to arrest me for handling stolen goods ‘cause I had my credit card in my pocket. This was all because I refused to give my name until they could provide some evidence against me.  

K: When can we look forward to seeing a finished film?

g: The film is to be completed by the beginning of January and we are currently in talks to hopefully get it aired.

Keep an eye out for news about the film at the End of Roads Facebook Page

Or, really get involved by helping the team get the project over the line in time for this year’s award deadlines by helping out here