Thamesmead Documentary

Chocolate Films and London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) have embarked on a new form of community media project with funding from Film London and the UK Film Council.

The project brought together a programme of films made about Thamesmead in the early years of the town's development, and screened them to different groups in the community. Thamesmead: 21st Century Town follows the journey of these films from the archive shelves of the LMA back 'home' to Thamesmead and the responses of the films provoked in the audiences.

The documentary includes contemporary views on Thamesmead from a great variety of groups, such as older people who have seen a vast amount of changes to the town in its 40 year history, to a new generation of Brownies who marvelled at the fact their town was built on marshland.

The film's director Mark Currie said: "Being able to screen this programme of archive films that show Thamesmead through a very rose-tinted view has been a great way to stimulate debate and discussion with the different groups about how they see their town today. Along the way we have uncovered some amazing stories about the hard work that certain people have put in, both in the early years of the town and in the present day, to build a community at Thamesmead and make it a place people are proud to call home despite the challenges it has faced."

Elaine Johnson, Head of Communications and Marketing from project partner Trust Thamesmead said: "The project offered a unique opportunity to use materials from the past to make sense of the present and aspire to the future.

"As the only community development agency working across the whole of Thamesmead we work hard to challenge negative perceptions of the area. This project has helped us to do this in an exciting and innovative way. I hope that as many local people as possible will take the opportunity to see the finished film."