Synopsis

Bad Neighbours examines the history of racial harassment in Hackney, East London and the violence faced by non-white migrant residents in council estates. The narrator uses a second-person voiceover to recall traumas of harassment – both physical and mental – and the atmosphere of fear and hostility created by such attacks. The video highlights the structural racism that seeps directly into the allocation of housing. The interviews with residents are intercut with various council representatives who highlight newly implemented policies to alleviate racial hate and to make council workers more aware of racial harassment while also instilling punitive measures to deter the attacks. These clips are sometimes edited together to show disagreements between various representatives on what the best way might be to combat the wider issue of racism. The film also highlights the poor conditions of estate flats which are often mouldy and damp, leading to health issues for their occupants.