Film short abstract

Jimmy is a long-term resident of a social housing estate undergoing redevelopment. While struggling to come to terms with what 'regeneration' means for him, he finds joy in sharing his collections, telling stories of class, place and "still waiting for that future".

Film long abstract

"50 years ago today they landed on the moon... and I'm still waiting for that future".

Jimmy's Archive is a collaborative short film by anthropologist Robert Deakin and James ('Jimmy') Watters – a lifelong resident of Poplar, a working-class neighbourhood in the former docklands of east London. Rebuilt according to a modernist masterplan after being heavily bombed during the 2nd World War, today Poplar is undergoing another round of intensive redevelopment in the form of ‘urban regeneration’ which will see formerly public housing replaced with mostly private housing for market sale.

Against this backdrop, Jimmy delves into a cupboard of carefully kept artefacts to tell stories of class, place, music and (still) waiting for the future. Recently having retired after 30 years as a London Black Cab driver, Jimmy now spends much of his time at home. But while struggling to come to terms with what 'regeneration' means for him, he finds joy in sharing his collections.

Jimmy's Archive provides an intimate portrait of home, place and ageing in a rapidly changing urban landscape. It also contributes to thinking and practice around collaborative and multi-modal anthropology. While the editing for the film was done by Robert - interspersed by screening and feedback sessions - the ‘on set’ direction was a collaboration, with Jimmy improvising ‘on stage’ and Robert filming with minimal intervention. As Jimmy delves into his collection the narrative unfolds through a combination of human agency and serendipity.

Film short abstract

An investigation of how place attachment is negotiated in relation to memory and experience through the transnational stories of a Roma sister and brother.

Film long abstract

This short film was part of the director's final project towards the completion of an MA in Visual Anthropology at University of Manchester. The film makes use of both the conventional settings of talking heads interviews as well as the more participatory techniques of organising and filming creative workshops with the participants in order to showcase a rather abstract topic: the emotional geographies of transnational Roma people. By zooming in on how place attachments are negotiated and renegotiated in relation to memory and personal experience the film highlights the participants vastly different approaches towards choosing where to live despite the two of them sharing the same family and background.