The new Guardian documentary No Ball Games celebrates the resourceful, optimistic energy of kids and their determination to find fun in every corner of their worlds. Shot before Covid-19 changed their lives, and made with the support of the BFI Doc Society Fund, this short film immerses us in the playful exploration of kids from rural Wales to post-industrial Teesside and inner-city London. We speak with filmmaker Charlotte Regan about making the film.
What inspired you to make this film?
There is loads of magic in working-class communities. Loads of magic that comes out of kids not having much but having no idea that’s the case. No idea they have less than anyone else. I love that when we’re that age we just create our own fun and a lot of that time we spend playing out with our mates can be some of our most character-defining moments without us even knowing it.
Watching this film is an immersive experience, you feel like you begin to see the world through their eyes. What was your creative vision for the film and how did you go about achieving it?
I think we’d always intended to make something that was with the kids. Something that was made by them and with them in every way. So we kind of let them dictate the film to be honest!
You filmed with kids from all over the UK. Did you find that the different locations affect their game playing and their attitudes towards life and their future?
It’s funny because we spent a lot of time saying this project was all about play being universal. But as the process went on, that opinion changed. There’s a universalness to their attitudes. All the kids feel like they’re having the best summer, all the kids love their community. But in terms of the game play and the attitudes, jeez it couldn’t have been more varied even when they were playing what they assumed to be the same games. The games, and the different styles of the games, were in part a reflection of their personalities. Declyn’s games were all about instincts and physicality. Seren & Seren and Marley and Milan’s games were often more about communication or tactics.
Their attitudes towards the future were all limitlessly positive.
From your time observing these kids - how do you think government spending cuts on youth services have affected them?
Massively. There are still incredible people in certain areas, amazing youth workers who are adapting and pushing forward. But the youth centres are where these kids are introduced to different opportunities. They are all full of amazing skills and it’s youth centres that usually become a support system for developing those skills and letting kids know that they can be turned into careers. There’s sometimes a ceiling to what can be achieved with potential alone. Middle-class kids are often in worlds where people are constantly not just telling them they can be anything but then also introducing them to a mate who works in that industry or putting them into paid classes to help them pursue their passions. Youth centres can often be that space for working-class communities.
This was filmed before the pandemic but do you think it’s themes talk to children and play in the current climate?
I think it talks to the current climate more than ever. If there’s anyone we should look to for inspiration it’s these kids. They can and will adapt to any environment. And they won’t just adapt. They’ll adapt and then within a week tell you everything that’s amazing and positive about their new environment.
What effect do you hope this film will have on the viewer?
It’s an odd one as its a kind of a fuck you to all the films where the working-class characters don’t get a moment of joy or relief. This is just a load of kids having fun for 12 minutes. I hope people will just run with it, just experience it and get even a slight feel for a long summer day in these communities.
About the filmmaker:
Charlotte grew up with her mother and grandmother in north London. She started making low and no budget music promos for local rappers when she was 15, creating over 200 to date. Her first short film, Standby, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and went on to win a Sundance Ignite award and be nominated for a Bafts. She then went on to make Fry-Up (Sundance and Berlinale) and Dodgy Dave (BFI and TIFF). Charlotte’s first feature project, Scrapper, is in development with BBC & BFI and being produced by Theo Barrowclough at DMC. She was recently selected as a Screen “Star of Tomorrow”. Her projects focus on working-class communities and characters.
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