Sheffield’s Doc/Fest came to a close yesterday and I stayed true to my agenda, making a point to catch a screening of Penny Woolcock’s latest film, 1 Day, before the festivities wound down. Essentially a hip-hop musical, the film is an entertaining look at life on the streets of Birmingham for young black youths. I admire Woolcock’s effort because it’s always hard to make films like this, authenticity is a big issue and for people that have never experienced the circumstances depicted, we can never be sure as to whether it really hits home or not. From an entertainment point of view, however, I was thoroughly enamoured with Woolcock’s script, the lyrics provided by the actors and the excellent performance from Dylan Duffus as the protagonist, Flash. I cared about what would happen to Flash and his friends, whether or not he would overcome his hardships and even forgave some of the deplorable acts he committed, in short, I was enjoying it.

Even though I have respect for Woolcock’s back catalogue, 1 Day was still better than I expected and find it astonishing that it has been banned from public viewing in the West Midlands. The censorship needs to be overturned and everybody needs to watch this. Oh, and I want a soundtrack release, ‘Ride Again’ is brutal.

It’s already been on for a couple of days, but I think it would be an insult to the city if I didn’t mention the Sheffield Doc/Fest. I haven’t really had time to head down to the Showroom or any of the other participating buildings and check out what’s been going yet, but I’m attending one of the piracy masterclasses and have booked tickets for the screening of Penny Woolcock’s 1 Day on Sunday. I’m a sucker for inner-city crime (as long as I don’t get shot or mugged myself, of course). Anyway, head over to the Showroom or Official Doc/Fest site for more details.