The Street

Just minutes away from London's financial centre, Hoxton Street is the heart of a traditional East End working-class community. As viewed in this feature documentary, it's buffeted by ongoing redevelopment and the latest wave of immigration, and there's a traditional pie-and-mash shop, where Brexiteer attitudes harden against foreign incomers and new money. Meanwhile, existing business premises give way to hipster cafes and art galleries, as ritzy new apartment blocks alter the area's character. Change seems permanent and inevitable, yet director Zed Nelson also spends time with an elderly resident who recalls the community spirit of decades gone by, and an unexpected connection with the Grenfell Tower tragedy reveals compassion crossing an apparent class divide. The setting is specifically London-centric, of course, yet the contentious nature of "progress", and the resentment felt by those excluded from it, will doubtless strike chords across the nation. The film itself brings an open mind and heart to the proceedings, which balance wry humour with a palpable compassion for individuals up against it. Recommended.