BFI 'Rip it Up' - This is England + live music by Wasabi

Part of the BFI's "Rip it Up" season and in collaboration with Phase Magazine, Theatreship are proud to host a series of screenings celebrating the changing face of youth rebellion. In this season we dive into the youth driven movements which have defined our cultural identity, the agonies and ecstasies of growing up in Britain, and the issues facing the next generation. For this event we are screening This Is England, a gritty, deeply personal exploration of 1980s skinhead culture and the seductive pull of nationalism followed by a live performance from Wasabi, bringing their nostalgic yet fresh shoegaze and alternative sound.

This Is England

Rating: 18

Duration: 101 minutes

This Is England (2006) - Set in a coastal English town in 1983, Shane Meadows' acclaimed drama follows 12-year-old Shaun, a lonely boy dealing with the loss of his father in the Falklands War. Shaun finds a surrogate family in a gang of local, fun-loving skinheads who introduce him to parties, first love, and ska music. However, the group's idyllic camaraderie is shattered by the arrival of Combo, an older, militant racist who violently radicalizes a faction of the youths.

The film will be followed by a live performance from Wasabi, a 4-piece shoegaze and alternative band from Exeter. They blend the influences of Portishead, Slowdive, and Fontaines D.C. into a nostalgic yet fresh sound.

Phase is an interdisciplinary cultural platform operating between publication, curation, and collective practice.