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Change at Edgware Road
Proposal for a documentary film
Carl Sunbourg
Abstract
In a world that seems to be dividing itself once again into the 'free world' on the one hand and a 'world of evil' on the other civil liberties are increasingly at risk. It is thus interesting to consider those citizens of the world who have made a new home abroad, on the 'other' side.
This film takes side against the de-humanisation of 'strangers',
by offering a portrait of the lives of Arabs at home in London.
Story
On a fair day, on Edgware Road in London's West End, you are likely to see men sitting outside Al-Dar Café smoking water pipes. Among the limousines parked opposite could well be one with an Arabic number plate.
Should you wish to withdraw some cash from the next automatic transfer machine, you might run into difficulties unless your account is with the National Bank of Kuwait. In case you are a visitor from an Arab country, this road is the right place to shop for the food you are acquainted with from home, and if you fancy an Arabic video for the night you can borrow one from the shop next door.
No other area in London is so distinctly Arab than Edgware Road. This street is the prism through which Arab London becomes visual. It is the High Street of London's Arab quarter.
Shop signs in Arabic seem standard. One travel agent offers sight-seeing tours around London, but for the "best price in town" only in Arabic. The road's dry-cleaners are hung full with jalabia.
Arabic life-style features on a day-to-day basis. Coffee shops line the street, in a city without a traditional coffee culture. Many are infused by the sweet odour of the apple and honey flavoured tobacco used in the water pipes. According to these smells, Edgware Road could be located in Beirut or Cairo.
Yet, more than what we can see we do not know. Thus the film aims at plunging into this world and looking behind the scenes to reveal the stories of the road's inhabitants. What are these stories all about? How did the road become like it is today? How do the Arabs who live here relate to their English neighbours?
Background
Roman colonialists first built the road in order to get from their small harbor of Londinium to their posh garrison town of Edgware. Thus being one of the oldest roads in England, it has seen many changes and could tell stories in abundance. Of interest here, however, is the transformation that occurred during the last 30 years.
The 'settlement' of the Edgware Road area by Arab citizens began in the 1970s. The road has since changed gradually and steadily become 'Arabised'. This change is linked to changes in the Arab world.
One main reason is likely to be the 'Oil Crisis' of the 1970's which was not a crisis for many Arabs, but rather meant increased wealth and mobility.
Also, wars such as that in October 1973 (i.e. the film project could also draw on this anniversary), the Lebanese civil war (1975-91), and subsequent Gulf wars (1980s, 1991, 2003) have all had their impact.
Thus, self-chosen as well as forced immigration led to a transition of Edgware Road, i.e. an influx of 'Arab money' resulting from the oil trade and the relocation of the Arab service and entertainment industries. The change of ownership of real estate in this area can also be seen against this background.
But what else besides wars, human rights abuses and business explains this development?
In the literature on London, Edgware Road rarely features beyond the tube station. Nearby Paddington, Mayfair, Oxford Street, and Hyde Park are often of more interest. Thus, the film would be of highly informative value and would fill a gap.
Realisation
The film would ideally combine historical material, as well as contemporary material especially produced for this film. The film's narrative emerges from these two main threads. In terms of telling the story of Edgware Road's transformation directed and undirected voices can be distinguished.
A directed way of telling the story can be achieved through organised interviews of 'witnesses'; undirected voices can be obtained by way of following the scenery with the camera (high-quality sound equipment is essential).
With regards to the camera use (a semi-professional DVD camera would suffice), wielding long shots would most characteristically catch the reality or mood of Edgware Road. Life here follows another pace – a slower pace – as compared, for example, to Oxford Street.
Medium to short shots would be one method for deconstructing this 'reality'. There are plentiful sources for pick-up shots of street scenes, cafés and shops. Close-up shots are necessary to portrait the street's faces.
Panoramic shots, could be organised from high-rise buildings at the southern and northern ends of the considered section of the road. It would also be necessary to take drive-by shots in order
to catch the road's character. Presumably, there will be an even balance between inside and outside shots. Preferably, there should be no voice-over or narrator from the off.
The road is interesting during the day, and more so toward the evening and at night especially during the weekend (when light equipment is necessary). The culture of going out 'to see and be seen' is closer to the same culture in the Middle East than, for instance, at Leicester Square.
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