London Town

It's England, 1979, and unemployment has hit the working class suburbs of London particularly hard. As his family struggles to stay afloat, 14-year-old Shay Baker has had to grow up quickly by taking care of his younger sister Alice while his father Nick works two jobs. One day, Shay receives a package from his estranged mother, the free-spirited Sandrine, who left the family years ago to pursue her dreams of being a singer. Inside is a cassette tape featuring the newest music from London. Shay is captured by the raw energy of The Clash's 'White Riot' as it pounds through his ears, opens his mind and causes him to lose himself in it - until the reality of his responsibilities pull him back to reality. Shay’s life becomes even harder when Nick is hospitalised after an accident and Alice falls ill. He makes a decision: he goes searching for Sandrine, in the hopes that she can help their family from being torn apart. After finding Sandrine, Shay attends his first Clash concert, has a run-in with the law, and loses his virginity, physically and mentally. While Nick still lies unconscious, Shay struggles to pay the bills. Realising that Sandrine can’t help them, wanting to be friends rather than a mother, Shay escapes in music as a way of expressing his frustration at his personal as well as thelarger political situation. Just as all seems to be lost, Shay must find the courage to take a huge leap that will offer hope to his struggling family.