the real eastenders: old member directs his first documentary for channel 4
Filmmaker Ashley Francis-Roy (Music, 2011) was nominated for a new BAFTA in the category Emerging Talent: Factual for his first two films, aired on Channel 4. The first, ‘The Real Eastenders’ was aired after he won the prestigious First Cut pitch prize at the 2019 Sheffield Doc/Fest.
‘The Real Eastenders’ is a documentary filmed in the heart of London’s East End, the docks of the Isle of Dogs, which were once the beating heart of Empire. Now the docks are long-gone, but the old ways of life carry on for these Real Eastenders, many of whom trace their Island roots back six generations. Ashley presents the world as seen by children growing up on the Island’s council estates. The film is narrated by local singer songwriter Hak Baker.
After he left Queen’s in 2014, Ashley moved to London and secured an internship as a trainee with the BBC. ‘It was through an organisation called Creative Access which creates internships in the Media and Arts for people from BAME backgrounds,’ Ashley explained. ‘I had a fantastic training year and have since gained experience working on a wide range of productions from arts and history to factual and observational documentaries for all the major broadcasters. In 2019 I was both the winner of Channel 4’s First Cut pitch, and accepted onto the BBC New Documentary Directors scheme. This is my first documentary as Director and my second for Channel 4 will be released later this year.’
As winner of the First Cut pitch, Ashley was awarded a one-hour commission for Channel 4 and a one-month paid development. ‘First Cut is a fantastic platform for young directors to develop and find their unique voice,’ he said. ‘Commissioner Rita Daniels, who oversees the initiative, is hugely committed to supporting young directors, especially those from BAME backgrounds. She and C4 have been huge champions of me this year and gave me a huge amount of freedom to make the film I wanted.
‘I grew up on a council estate in Leeds and often feel that the voices of communities like the one I grew up in aren’t always heard in the right way on TV, so I wanted to make a film that told the stories of people in a community like this that served them, and that they could be proud of. Telling people’s stories in a humane and fair way is complicated but I felt confident and comfortable that we had the best team to understand the important nuances involved in representing our contributors in the best way. The more we spoke to people on the Isle of Dogs, the more we realised there’s an incredibly strong sense of identity. Everyone we met is so proud of where they’re from and fiercely protective of it. That sense of community is stronger than anywhere else I’ve experienced and everyone on the Island definitely feels that the place is special. It took a lot of perseverance and smiling for people to invite us properly into their world and to build people’s trust in us as filmmakers, but it wasn’t too long before we felt part of the big Island family. I was looking for sensitive and expressive characters who you just love to be with and whose stories speak to bigger universal and relatable themes – family, growing up and the future. It quickly became clear that there was real potential to make a warm and funny film about the Island with the stories of the Islanders at the heart of it. With the summer holidays approaching, we decided to focus on the Island’s younger residents and get to know the place through their unique perspectives.’
WATCH ‘THE REAL EASTENDERS’:
Ashley’s second film was very different. He worked with Yinka Bokinni, who grew up on the same estate in London as Damilola Taylor, the ten-year-old who was murdered on the North Peckham Estate in 2000. ‘Yinka was neighbours and friends with Damilola and the film is about their relationship and how his death impacted her and the community,’ said Ashley. ‘It's a really powerful film about community and trauma.’
‘Damilola: The Boy Next Door’ is presented by Yinka Bokinni and tells the story of Yinka's childhood friend and neighbour Damilola Taylor – and the impact his death had on her and her community. Marking the 20th anniversary of Damilola Taylor's senseless murder, this poignant and reflective film explores the impact of Damilola's death from the perspective of the children who grew up with him on the North Peckham Estate. Yinka is now a successful radio DJ, TV presenter and writer, but twenty years ago she was one of those kids, and ‘Dami’ was her friend.
Now, as she explores the devastating impact Damilola's death had on her community and the lives of almost everyone she knew, Yinka confronts for the first time the impact of this tragic event which the children from the area have never even felt able to discuss; and explores how the warm, loving and happy community she remembers so fondly from her childhood was made to feel somehow to blame for the tragic loss of a young life.
The film has received very positive reviews with The Financial Times describing it as ‘A sensitive portrait of widespread trauma’ and The Sunday Telegraph saying: ‘This is a powerful and captivating film. A fiercely honest reflection on a terrible tragedy.’