This film will be available for free on 26 July 2021
We the Ragamuffin
Julian Henriques' urban musical showcases the style, vernacular and vibrancy of British Caribbean Dancehall culture.
1992 26 mins
Overview
Filled with undeniable style, the vibrations of local sound systems and rhythmic Jamaican patois, Julian Henriques' urban odyssey is an energetic declaration of British Caribbean Dancehall culture, shot on location on the North Peckham Estate. The cast of local artists glide between realism and whimsy using improvised dialogue and musical performance, with the titular Ragamuffins using musical innovation to sidestep the negative aspects of urban life.
This film is regarded as a prelude to Henriques' ragga musical Babymother, also available on BFI Player. Tega Otiki
Related
Nineties Shorts
The Body Beautiful The Body Beautiful
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1990 24 mins
Autobiographical account of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring beauty standards and female sexuality.
Indian Tales Indian Tales
Student film 1994 12 mins Location: Haringey
Indian proverbs and superstitions shape the complex love life of a young British woman.
Future Lasts a Long Time Future Lasts a Long Time
Crime 1996 14 mins Location: Fens, The
Dream-like short film starring Samantha Morton, in one of her earliest screen credits, as one of a couple on the run who hide out in the Fens.
The Stream The Stream
Documentary 1999 12 mins
Duncan Jones, director of Moon, Source Code and Warcraft, presents this ambitious Iron Age short about the star-crossed romance between a slave and gentry girl.
Dead London Dead London
Drama 1996 20 mins Location: Farringdon Station
Ewan Bremner and Dexter Fletcher star as a pair of morbid fortune tellers in this modern tale of dark arts.
Rave Rave
Documentary 1997 12 mins
Partying like it's 1997. We follow a rave DJ instigator rigging up decks in abandoned warehouses, a nosebleed 'techno tourist' who chases the hardcore around Europe and a girl addicted to... partying.
Peckham
Housing for the Disabled Housing for the Disabled
Documentary 1982 26 mins Location: Peckham
A training film, made in Cumbria, Gwent and Peckham Rye, revealing government thinking in the early 1980s
The Centre The Centre
1947 22 mins Location: Peckham
St Mary's Road in Peckham, London, is the location for a bold social experiment.
Alexandra Day in Peckham Alexandra Day in Peckham
Non-Fiction 1913 5 mins Silent Location: Peckham
Charming charity antics in Peckham, as locals dig deep for 'Alexandra Rose Day'.
New
Hanna Flint introduces The Arbor Hanna Flint introduces The Arbor
Short documentary 2021 5 mins
Film & TV Critic Hanna Flint introduces The Arbor and reflects on how Clio Barnard's debut feature fuses documentary and fictional elements in an innovative way.
Khwaaish Khwaaish
Drama 2018 7 mins
Khwaaish or 'Desire' is an Indian short film that glimpses into the life of one man’s longing to find a same-sex companion, in a city that refuses to accept LGBTQIA+ people.
Chariot Riders Chariot Riders
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2015 5 mins
Beautifully animated short film about a boy's feelings of love for another boy – his best friend.
Sisak Sisak
Romance 2017 15 mins
A first-of-its-kind silent LGBTQ short film set in India, Sisak makes waves before the visuals of this film hit the shore.
Maacher Jhol - The Fish Curry Maacher Jhol - The Fish Curry
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2017 12 mins
Lalit decides to come out to his parents at dinner. Seeking acceptance, he cooks his father’s favourite fish curry.
Little Elephant Little Elephant
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2015 5 mins
A British Indian woman and her father discuss their opposing views on family and sexuality in this beautifully moving, visually striking 2D animated short film.