Like all great girlfriends Lyn frequently surprises me. She just put on an absolute gem of a film for us to watch, called Victim (alex phillal, 2011). At first, I just dismissed it as just a run of the mill gangster flick, glorifying crime and violence. In fact, I was beginning to wonder why L would put such film on, when I suddenly noticed a building in the background that looked rather familiar, then another. Then I noticed street crossings and junctions that looked like ones I had used. I then realised that the film was set in south east London, and suddenly began to pay attention. It’s funny how things will take on another layer of resonance when they contain details which are familiar to the viewer: often, such details are things like shared interests or experiences. Films about love, for instance, speak more to those in love. I suppose the same applies to place.

Lyn and I had a great time, then, pointing out places we knew. The film also struck me as rather familiar culturally: I have been living in south-east London for three years now, and the film makers seem to have got the local mix of urban, west-indian, African culture down to a tee. Their use of local slang and spelling was especially striking, not to mention some of the local patriarchical attitudes. I was reminded of my first year of university cultural studies, where we looked at Walter Benjamin’s work on the urban maelstrom: there was the same sense of alienation and disenfranchisement – indeed of victimhood – in this film that he spoke of. Moreover, I soon realized the film was not a glorification of crime and violence, but an exploration of it. Thus a film I had at first casually dismissed turned out to be an unexpected gem on two levels. In a way you can say it bridged the gap between my university life and my life as a south Londoner. It was strange to see places I now know rather well portrayed on screen, especially in quite a pessimistic tone (mind you, pessimism seems almost endemic around here these days), but it was fascinating to see the local culture being interpreted filmically. All in all a great watch, and one well worth a second viewing: full marks to Lyn for putting it on.