It’s finally here! After weeks of build up, ‘Denim’, Siana Bangura’s poetic short film exploring gentrification in South East London, is now live and free to watch on YouTube. Fusing together poetry, music, and film, ‘Denim’ takes us on a trip down memory lane in which we get an insight into the estates, buildings, and people who have made London the vibrant city of dreams, opportunity and contradiction it is today.  We are also asked the question, ‘what happens when the city changes and leaves those who built it behind?’.

Inspired by her poem of the same name, ‘Denim’, is the latest project to come from Elephant, Siana’s debut collection of poetry. This weekend marks a year since its publication by the Haus of Liberated Reading. Featuring vocals by singer-songwriter Nia Ekanem and featuring Maya Bangura as ‘Younger Siana’, ‘Denim’ is written, performed and produced by Siana, and filmed and edited by documentary filmmaker, Susuana Amoah. The audio was mixed and engineered by Alex Fletch at Peckham Studios and the many locations include Peckham Studios, St. Saviour’s & St. Olave’s School, BoxPark in Shoreditch, Brixton, Surrey Quays, and Suya & Lobster restaurant off Walworth Road to name but a few.

Featuring photography by South East London-born photographer Adama Jalloh, ‘Denim’ is also an archival offering of what is now our past, as well as what is now our present, and what could be our future, in the form of still as well as moving image and the spoken word.

Watch ‘Denim’ right here:

Photo by Susuana Amoah