“My connection to this location and topic started about a decade ago, when I attended a protest in Brixton and saw a ‘Save Central Hill’ banner,” explains filmmaker Hark1karan. “It made an impression on me, but it wasn’t until years later, when I was asked to photograph a project at the Central Hill estate, that I noticed the same banner still flying. I was struck by the longevity and resilience of the campaign, which led me to reach out to Sabine [Mairey, a resident on the estate and one of the driving forces behind the campaign to save it] to understand more about it and explore how I could contribute as a creative.”
The Central Hill Estate in south east London has been under threat of demolition since 2014. Located near the former Crystal Palace and built between 1966 and 1974, the estate comprises more than 450 homes – but more importably, a thriving, diverse community. It’s this community that filmmakers Hark1karan and Alex Donaldson have collaborated with to create the moving short documentary, A Portrait of Central Hill.
Both Hark1karan and Alex live close to Crystal Palace, so they feel a strong connection to south London and a responsibility to help the Central Hill community share their story. “We focused on creating a comfortable, open environment, encouraging everyone to express their honest feelings and perspectives on the estate’s situation,” Hark1karan explains. “We wanted them to feel that this was their story, and we were simply there to help them tell it. Their willingness to be vulnerable with us created moments that went beyond what we anticipated, adding layers of authenticity and emotional weight to the documentary.”
