The Urban Savannah
UK, 2004
Directors: Matthew Cook, Vince Lund
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 10 minutes
Short synopsis
A wildlife 'mocumentary', satirising the animalistic stereotypes of today's youth.
Long synopsis
This 'mocumentary' is a satirical take on a wildlife documentary, introducing youth 'types' through their distinct behavioural attributes. It highlights two key groups, the predatory townies and the docile skaters, and details the difference in their herd behaviour.
The Urban Savannah adopts a wildlife documentary structure, including interviews with 'experts'. A voiceover narration describes the herd characteristics of the two observed youth groups using scientific language. The experts comment on each herd, comparing their language, physical attributes, grooming, relationships, and rituals. The familiar behaviour of groups of young people in town centres is discussed as if they were groups of animals, such as lions, engaging in territorial combats.
In the final scene, the Animal Behaviour Expert, crouching in the long grass, observes the townies close in on their prey as a confrontation between the two groups results in the defeat of the leader of the skaters by the leader of the townies.
Background information
About the film
The Urban Savannah was made on a £8,500 budget, provided by Carlton and by a now defunct Screen West Midlands scheme called First Cut. Matthew Cooke and Vincent Lund wrote the script together (with advice from a professor at Warwick University), and also co-directed. The people in the film are real townies and skaters, recruited from the streets of Warwick.
Although the entire filmmaking process - including pre-production and writing - took six months, the filming lasted only four days and post-production just three.
About the film-makers
Matthew and Vincent just finished their new short film Room 45, funded by the UK Film Council's Digital Short scheme.
Teaching materials and additional materials
The teaching materials have been developed by practising teachers to provide a springboard for your own work with your students. Feel free to use and adapt them appropriate to your students' needs.
The additional materials, provided by the film-makers, can be used to develop your work with the film and deepen students' understanding of the process of film-making.
