Objetos Rebeldes
(Rebel Objects)

Jimmy's Archive

"50 years ago today they landed on the moon... and I'm still waiting for that future ". Jimmy's Archive is a collaborative short film by anthropologist Robert Deakin and James ('Jimmy') Watters – a lifelong resident of Poplar, a working-class neighbourhood in the former docklands of east London. Rebuilt according to a modernist masterplan after being heavily bombed during the 2nd World War, today Poplar is undergoing another round of intensive redevelopment in the form of ‘urban regeneration’. But while the post-war redevelopment built municipal housing for the working classes, the new developments are overwhelmingly comprised of private housing for market sale. Against this backdrop, Jimmy delves into a cupboard of carefully kept artefacts to tell stories of class, place, music and (still) waiting for the future. While struggling to come to terms with what 'regeneration' means for him, Jimmy finds joy in sharing his collections. Jimmy's Archive provides an intimate portrait of home, place and ageing in a rapidly changing urban landscape. It also contributes to the practice of collaborative methods in visual/multi-modal anthropology. While the editing for the film was done by Robert - interspersed by screening and feedback sessions - the ‘on set’ direction was a collaboration, with Jimmy improvising ‘on stage’ and Robert filming with minimal intervention. As Jimmy delves into his collection the narrative unfolds through a combination of human agency and serendipity.

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