The Battle for Barking is a 2010 British documentary film, chronologically filming the campaign for the election of MP to the Barking constituency.[1] It won the Sheffield Youth Jury Award at Sheffield Doc/Fest in 2010.
| The Battle for Barking | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Laura Fairrie |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Margaret Hodge Nick Griffin Richard Barnbrook Lawrence Rustem Bob Bailey |
| Cinematography | Laura Fairrie |
| Edited by | John Mister |
| Music by | Harry Escott Molly Nyman |
Production company | Dartmouth Films |
| Distributed by | More 4 |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Reviews
editReviews were generally positive. The Telegraph took an anti-BNP stance writing that "the best thing about The Battle for Barking, was that it didn’t bash the BNP. Instead, it was quite happy to let the BNP bash themselves."[2] The Guardian described the film as "altogether more substantial and red-blooded," attacking Griffin personally, writing that "the already overweight Griffin was seldom seen not scoffing a doughnut: he'd better start praying he finds a hospital without any black staff when he is eventually admitted for heart surgery."[3] A review in the New Statesman praised the film as "revealing".[4] A review in The Independent called the film "studiously even-handed" and remarked, "given 90 minutes of televisual rope, Griffin and co did a brilliant job of hanging themselves as credible political contenders."[5]
The BNP's Deputy Chairman Simon Darby described on his blog how the documentary came about: "Well, was I right in trusting her (Fairrie), was the question I asked myself whilst brushing my teeth in the early hours of this morning. 'Yes.'"'[6] However, the BNP's former National Organiser Eddy Butler wrote that "the overwhelming feeling after watching it is one of great sadness at the lost opportunity."[7]
References
edit- ^ "The Battle for Barking - Channel 4". Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ Wilson, Benji (30 November 2010). "True Stories: The Battle for Barking, More4, review". www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ Crace, John (1 December 2010). "TV review: True Stories: The Battle for Barking, Tramadol Nights, The Morgana Show, Imagine". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ Cooke, Rachel (8 December 2010). "The Battle for Barking". New Statesman. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ Harries, Rhiannon (5 December 2010). "The Battle for Barking, More4, Tuesday, Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights, Channel 4, Tuesday". The Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Simon Darby: Battle for Botswana". Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ Butler, Eddy. "The Battle for Barking - Review". Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2019.