Cultural Quarter

Film by Mike Stubbs / Music and audio Dreams of Tall buildings, 2003.

Cultural Quarter presents the relationships of observation in the city to its citizens, whilst begging ethical questions about surveillance, the gaze and human behaviour. It exposes some of the gaps between developers’ dreams and citizens' perceptions of what cultural space means and how to use it.

The film casts a precise and pertinent eye on a daily urban reality in an unspecified British suburb. Presenting a fine balance between reality and its representation, the film's subtly edited movements shift its perspective back and forth between reportage and a form of social voyeurism. The work questions how ideas about "them and us", social coherence, family and community ethics are constructed.