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Battle of Soho
Take a journey through London's most notorious district, meeting residents and campaigners at the forefront of a battle to keep its eccentric, diverse spirit alive.
Director: Aro Korol
Overview
Filmmaker Aro Korol takes us on a journey through a changing Soho, in this love letter to London's most notorious district, meeting the residents and campaigners at the forefront of a battle to keep its eccentric, diverse spirit alive. Featuring the last film performance by ground-breaking dancer, mime artist and choreographer Lindsay Kemp.
Following the closure of burlesque nightclub Madame Jojo's in 2014, and the emergence of vast infrastructure projects like Crossrail, there is now growing concern about the irreversible damage being done to Soho's nonconformist nature. Eschewing archive footage, Korol concentrates on Soho's characters; the outsiders and eccentrics who've helped define its history. They guide us through Soho's colourful past, and illustrate the contemporary issues raised by widespread gentrification and renewal. Korol's documentary is ultimately as freeform, unorthodox and delirious in character as the district itself, while imparting a serious message around the dispersal of diverse class communities and the loss of key LGBT community spaces.
very strong language, strong sex references
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