New Film 'This Is Brixton' Dissects The Issue Of Gentrification And The Future Of South London

New Film 'This Is Brixton' Dissects The Issue Of Gentrification And The Future Of South London


February 19, 2018

Seemingly day by day the issue of gentrification bubbles under the surface as cities in the UK, particularly London, undergo rapid transformation, often at the expense of the city's residents. It's by no means a new issue, but as new film This Is Brixton shows, there seems to be precious little progress towards reversing (or even slowing) the negative effects of gentrification.

Shane Duncan, the filmmaker behind the new doc, was born and raised in Brixton and had always wanted to make a film about his local area. This Is Brixton features a whole range of local residents as they discuss the history of the area from what some describe as a 'slum', through to the present day. 

Most of those featured in the doc readily admit the area needs investment, but they're quick at add that should be for the benefit of the residents, not big business and the investors themselves. "I don't know if [investment] is a bad thing," says Duncan, "as long as the money goes into the community."

He explained to TRENCH via email: "I realised the place I called home was changing fast and I wanted to make a film that reflected that—I wanted the people that were blind to the fact, to now be able to see."



Words: James Keith


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