Under The Cranes

The title of this wonderful film refers to the borough of Hackney and how it strives to preserve its identity and community spirit during a never-ending so-called regeneration. Based on Michael Rosen’s play for voices, director Emma-Louise Williams used home movies, archive footage and her own recent shots to visualise the poems, songs and personal anecdotes that formed the interesting narrative. Scenes of children playing in the streets recalled a bygone age where everyone knew their neighbours, while the sight of Mosley’s fascists marauding through Dalston’s Jewish area highlighted the plight of its multicultural inhabitants, who remain stoical and optimistic.

Dome Studio, Brighton Dome, 12 May 2013

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