Cert 15
85 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, scenes of real violence
In the summer of 2011, many of Britain's cities were in flames during riots which had echoes of the terrible scenes of the 1980s.
It left many people angry and wondering why what they saw as the mob would take to the streets in such a way.
George Amponsah's documentary The Hard Stop attempts to offer some of the answers.
The trigger for the unrest was when police shot dead Mark Duggan, an apparently unarmed father of young children.
During the hours after his death, police told the media that they had reacted to being shot at but it was later proved this was not the case.
This infuriated the people of Tottenham where the shooting happened and where the perception of police persecution had pervaded for years.
One of those charged with orchestrating the initial riots in Tottenham was Duggan's close friend Marcus Knox Hooke and Amponsah had exclusive access to him while he was awaiting sentence by the crown court.
He then followed him and another friend, Kurtis Henville for the next few years through until the verdict of the Duggan inquest.
What The Hard Stop offers is a unique insight into the Duggan case and the reasons for the sense of disenfranchisement of the black community of Tottenham.
It is fascinating to see how normal both Hooke and Henville are, trying to establish themselves in a society which offers them little opportunities.
They are honest about their disdain for the police which has been fueled by tragedies such as those of Mark Duggan but also by frequent confrontations, particularly around Broadwater Farm where they were brought up.
They are also frank about the crimes they have committed.
Amponsah makes no attempt to be even-handed. There are no interviews with police or law-makers. This is solely a presentation of the viewpoint of the people he appears to feel have been oppressed.
The problem is that I would suspect that the vast majority of those who watch it will be advocates of its political stance.
Those who need to be influenced will never see it because they have not been engaged and that is a shame because they should.
Reasons to watch: a chance to see the real people behind the headlines
Reasons to avoid: its perspective is deliberately unbalanced
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10
Star tweet
Stafford Scott "I've seen the Hard Stop 10 times already but now that its released I'll watch it another 10 times" Stafford Scott
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