Pilgrim films and The Caravan Gallery joined forces to start a project in South Bank, Middlesborough comparing its fortunes with South Bank, London. It is intended that we all return to see what has happened in our absence and complete the film. The music is by Saint Etienne.
The film opens with a shot of a movie poster on a billboard. The dry grass in the foreground and field in the background makes it seem as though this area is derelict. Shots of battered and closed shop fronts, untidy buildings, and a lack of people in the shots contribute to this run-down aesthetic suggested in the opening shot.
A disembodied voice says that "no one moves in to South Bank, everyone moves out". Another says that it used to be a very friendly place, that you could "leave the front door open and your rent money on the table" and no one would steal it. "You shared everything you had." It is suggested that before an Asda supermarket was opened in the town, South Bank had loads of independent shops - "everything that was necessary to life, you could buy". This narrative is accompanied by shots of derelict shops - metal shutters pulled down, letters missing from the shop names above the door, and an absence of people in the frame.
A shot of the town's industrial establishments is shown while a TV report voiceover says that many jobs were cut, suggesting another aspect that helped towards the neglected nature of South Bank. One person suggests that people losing their jobs in the area helped to bring about the downturn in the town - "prior to that it was a bustling, harmonious atmosphere". Shots of the harbour area, where presumably the dockyards were before they closed down, is included with this narrative, as well as shots of a book charting the history of the area, and the abandoned docks. The town was named after the south bank of the River Tees. One voice says that the landscape in that area has "changed beyond belief" since the closure. It is mentioned that Margaret Thatcher was responsible for the loss of jobs during her time in power in the 1980s - "there'd probably be a mass celebration here when she dies, I would think". During this segment of narrative, a mournful piece of music plays. It dictates the tone of the narrative and also affects the way the viewer feels during this segment.
Someone else suggests that South Bank is in a transition period. Prior to private landlords buying properties, everyone owned their own house. After the landlords came in so did "rough" families it seems, and many of the houses were cleared. There is animosity towards the landlords, with one person saying "they live away from it and as long as they get their rent, they don't care at all" - one person even likens them to Dracula and Frankenstein. Shots of empty streets and run down houses accompany this narrative. The people moving in to South Bank are stereotyped as "having seven Rottweilers and they'll bash your face in" but are "actually decent citizens". Another says that there is crime in South Bank, "but isn't that the same everywhere?" Shots of houses and activity in the streets - men working on the phone wires, shots of street furniture - gives a more insightful view of the housing aspect to South Bank. One person says that it's their favourite place that they've lived in - "I lived in London and I hated London, because I think people didn't care about each other".
The community is mentioned alongside shots of the sign for the Mosque, and a poster on a building of a white and black hand shaking hands ("Bringing You Together"). They think that South Bank will always be the same, featured with a montage of signs and buildings around the town that mention "South Bank" on them. Moving image portraits are then shown of everyone who contributed their voices, shot somewhere on location in South Bank. These are interspersed with the credits of the film that are superimposed over shots of South Bank. The music that plays during the credits is uplifting and ends the film with a sense of optimism.
The film builds a sense of place by including long landscape shots, residential shots, and smaller details (such as graffiti and posters) in the edit. There is no atmos audio and instead uses instrumental music that contributes to the atmosphere of the film. This film gives a voice to the people of South Bank, who voice their opinions unabashedly. This contributes to a powerful film about place and pride.
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