Despite The City: Finance capitalism Docklands takeover & the LDDC, Mark Saunders, Despite TV (1988)
Despite the City, or, Despite TV 12 (1988) https://www.spectacle.co.uk/catalogue_production.php?id=56 A scurrilous and irreverent investigation of the City and its colonisation of London's docklands. Well researched and intelligently constructed, this is community based video at it's most powerful. Recommended. City Limits Credits Producer: Despite TV Directed by: Despite TV Original Format: colour, u-matic, 40 mins Language versions: english Useful link: http://www.spectacle.co.uk/... Order Catalogue No. DTV012C - dvd - en - pal via emailDespite The City A critical look at the City of London and the financial heartland's encroachment onto the East End and Docklands. Despite the City leads us through the bizarre complexities of the electronic money and the ( successfully predicted ) market meltdown, to the untold stories of a community under threat. The tape asks, Is the meltdown of the docklands a myth? a facade covering the disempowerment of local people? Whose "opportunities" are being created and why? Investigates stories of corruption the tape draws a challenging portrait in which the voices of local people's resistance are heard as they confront the planners and property dealers. There's a thousand stories in the Big City and video sleuths 'Despite TV' have unearthed a few of the nastier ones in this East side story of power, corruption and yes, lies, as high finance and dubious insider dealings encroach upon the East End. In a refinement of the 'DTV' style developed over the past few years, interviews, verite footage, graphics and off-air samples combine to lead the viewer from the bizzare complexities of electronic money and market meltdown, through allegations of organised crime finance in the Developmental Zone to the untold stories of a community sold down the river on housing and jobs but committed to resistance. Most revealing is a series of bitter confrontations between angry residents and a smooth talking property yes-man whose feathers get distinctly ruffled on discovering that no amonut of glib rhetoric can provide him with an easy way out. Well researched and intelligently constructed, this is community based video at it's most powerful. Recommended. Mike Jones City Limits Despite TV emerged after the creation of Channel 4, which gave professional film-making equipment to community groups. Making use of this new, more accessible video technology, Despite TV produced regular video magazines on local London issues, and longer films focusing on subjects such as the Wapping dispute (Despite the Sun, 1986), the London Docklands Development Corporation’s takeover of the old docks (Despite the City, 1988) and the poll tax riots (The Battle of Trafalgar, 1990, broadcast on Channel 4). https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/10/mark-saunders-obituary
Despite the City, or, Despite TV 12 (1988) https://www.spectacle.co.uk/catalogue_production.php?id=56 A scurrilous and irreverent investigation of the City and its colonisation of London's docklands. Well researched and intelligently constructed, this is community based video at it's most powerful. Recommended. City Limits Credits Producer: Despite TV Directed by: Despite TV Original Format: colour, u-matic, 40 mins Language versions: english Useful link: http://www.spectacle.co.uk/... Order Catalogue No. DTV012C - dvd - en - pal via emailDespite The City A critical look at the City of London and the financial heartland's encroachment onto the East End and Docklands. Despite the City leads us through the bizarre complexities of the electronic money and the ( successfully predicted ) market meltdown, to the untold stories of a community under threat. The tape asks, Is the meltdown of the docklands a myth? a facade covering the disempowerment of local people? Whose "opportunities" are being created and why? Investigates stories of corruption the tape draws a challenging portrait in which the voices of local people's resistance are heard as they confront the planners and property dealers. There's a thousand stories in the Big City and video sleuths 'Despite TV' have unearthed a few of the nastier ones in this East side story of power, corruption and yes, lies, as high finance and dubious insider dealings encroach upon the East End. In a refinement of the 'DTV' style developed over the past few years, interviews, verite footage, graphics and off-air samples combine to lead the viewer from the bizzare complexities of electronic money and market meltdown, through allegations of organised crime finance in the Developmental Zone to the untold stories of a community sold down the river on housing and jobs but committed to resistance. Most revealing is a series of bitter confrontations between angry residents and a smooth talking property yes-man whose feathers get distinctly ruffled on discovering that no amonut of glib rhetoric can provide him with an easy way out. Well researched and intelligently constructed, this is community based video at it's most powerful. Recommended. Mike Jones City Limits Despite TV emerged after the creation of Channel 4, which gave professional film-making equipment to community groups. Making use of this new, more accessible video technology, Despite TV produced regular video magazines on local London issues, and longer films focusing on subjects such as the Wapping dispute (Despite the Sun, 1986), the London Docklands Development Corporation’s takeover of the old docks (Despite the City, 1988) and the poll tax riots (The Battle of Trafalgar, 1990, broadcast on Channel 4). https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/10/mark-saunders-obituary