FROM EARLY: The Foundations of the Grime Aesthetic
20:30 Sat 11 Jan 2020
As a movement, grime is hard to define; to some it’s overtly political, to others it’s about having a good time. Like all musical subcultures it has evolved and changed, had its day and then had its day again.
This programme begins at the early days of grime on video, and how the DIY aesthetic set by pioneers such as Roony Keefe (Risky Roadz) confirmed a visual style that pays homage to its cultural roots; that of London estates, pirate radio, sportswear, Blackness, Englishness, otherness, hypermasculinity, the rave, the corner. It’s a movement that relies heavily on the power and presence of its performers, and the programme features key players from the scene including Wiley, Kano, Ghetts, Skepta and Wretch 32.
Followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Aneil Karia (Trouble), Femi Oyenrian (Against All Odds), Nicky ‘Slimting’ Walker (Against All Odds), Roony Keefe (Risky Roadz) and Lucia Helenka (Roll Deeper), chaired by Jesse Bernard, contributing editor of TRENCH.
Programmed by Nia Childs. 77’
Regent Street Cinema
W1B 2UW
Access
Please find all access information here, or drop a line to Helen MacKenzie at access@shortfilms.org.uk for more information or special requests.
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KANO ADIDAS BATHROBE FREESTYLE
Roony Keefe (Risky Roadz) 2 mins (UK, 2004)
A young Kano appears, late night, in an Adidas bathrobe. Taken from legendary DVD series Risky Roadz was instrumental in kickstarting the careers of countless MCs in the heyday of '00s grime. -
WILEY, SKEPTA, WRETCH, SCORCHER, GHETTS, FRISCO
Roony Keefe (Risky Roadz) 11 mins (UK, 2006)
The Best of Risky Roadz compiles the hypest moments from the four original DVDs into one incredible film anthology, showcasing some of grime's main players spitting bars in various locations around London, plus scenes filmed inside the recording studio or on air. -
ROLL DEEPER
Lucia Helenka 12 mins (UK, 2005)
A short film given as a bonus CD on In At The Deep End, Roll Deep’s Roll Deeper documentary shows us the East London crew in their true element, from studio sessions to estate hangouts. -
HIDDEN OLYMPIC VILLAGE
Simon Wheatley 11 mins (UK, 2012)
It’s 2012 and in East London, the long-awaited Olympic Games are underway, as the UK and the world beyond gets into the spirit of celebration. Simon Wheatley is in a living room in Maryland, a poor residential area less than a mile away from the Olympic Village, recording this historic moment in time through the eyes of Chronik, a veteran grime MC. -
AGAINST ALL ODDS
Femi Oyeniran / Nicky 'Slimting' Walker 23 mins (UK, 2019)
A young MC has dreams of making it as a star within the grime scene in its early years. This ambition doesn’t sit comfortably with attaining his university degree. -
TROUBLE- KANO
Aneil Karia 18 mins (UK, 2019)
A challenging short film, based on a concept by Kano, in which a promising teenager is stabbed. The London MC searches for sense and reason in this conversation with his neighbourhood.