Back in the day Harlseden & North West London was rarely out of the news. Portrayed as the murder capital of the UK we were barraged with terms such as “yardie”, “black on black”, “trident” and “no go”. To the outsider North West London and particularly Harlseden was under siege from gangs and the drug culture they trade.
During the bitter winter at the close of 2010 Fig Tree Film were commissioned to make a short film depicting the change in character of some residents of north west london. They are leaving a life of gangs and criminality for five prayers a day, fasting and charity. Shot and edited over a period of one month Nabil, Shamsudeen, Shoeib and Ismail recount the transformation and its origins.
Filmed on location in Ladbroke Grove , Harlesden and Kilburn this is a frank and moving account of change.
This poetic tale is only the beginning.
Equipment Canon 7D, Canon 24-70 f2.8L, Canon XHA1, Miller Solo tripod, Senheiser radio mics.
Edited in Final Cut Pro and graded using Magic Bullet