beyond brick lane films

Films - “Beyond Brick Lane”

2007 marked several key anniversaries in the history of Britain and Bengal. Beyond Brick Lane not only looked back at these points, but also forwards, asking: what does it mean to fit in, what should we be aspiring to, and how can an intertwined but turbulent past best lead to a harmonious future?

In light of the upcoming release of the feature film of Brick Lane, the project also gave participants the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences of East End life, and a voice to express their thoughts and interests.

For most of the participants involved, this was not only the first time they had made a film, but also the first time they had handled any kind of filmmaking equipment.

The films can be viewed with Quicktime 7, which you can download free here: quicktime

Please be patient, the films may take a minute or two to load:

BBL in Context (3m 10s)
Dir: Film For Humanity
Introduction to the project

Fish Out of Water (5m 49s)
Dir: Emma Ahmad, Tanzeena Ahmad, Forida Khan
A Bengali soul reflects lyrically over history and across continents.

Peoples Of The Books (7m 57s)
Dir: Anwar Boulifa, Lawrence Madubeko, Mohammed Habibur Rob
Many books, one humanity. A documentary exploring some of the faiths in the East End.

Sciaphobia (6m 17s)
Dir: Ned Dyke-Coomes, Farad Painchun
In a world polarised by views of “them and us”, this film asks: what are we afraid of?

The Bulldog (7m 46s)
Dir: Imran Yusuf
A bare-bones meditation on the concepts of identity and boundaries.

Dog Eat Dog (4m 26s)
Dir: Md Khurshid Alam, Hashim Muttoni
As our protagonist is left to his own devices when unable to find work, racial tensions stir and filter into nightmares.

Of Strangers And Fiction (9m 09s)
Dir: Raj K Ramaswamy, Jonathan Singers
In light of the upcoming cinematic release of Brick Lane, a look at what the locals really think.

All In – History On The Cards (7m 45)
Dir: Towfiq Ul Haque
Rebel leaders battle it out round the poker table.

And This Is How I Wash My Hijab (4m 27s)
Dir: Aysha Begum Miah
A poignant visual poem, sharing a commonplace activity with the wider world.

BBL Behind The Scenes (4m 05s)
Dir: Film For Humanity
Making of the films