Ode to rock and roll in South of the River
A film portraying an ode to rock’n’roll and the beauty of Brixton and South London life will be released on November 2.
South of the River follows front man Aaron as he navigates life, love and cancer.
This funny and touching debut directorial feature from Joe Watkins follows The Undefined, a struggling South London rock band with their sights set on greatness.
Lead singer Aaron and guitarist Jackson, played by Joe Watkins, are juggling the usual routine of drink, drugs, gigs and hook-ups, aspiring to be the next big thing, while Aaron ignores his doctor’s appointments and tries to run away from the brutal reality of his life-threatening illness.
When he meets the alluring Laura and his estranged dad makes a sudden return to his complicated life, only Aaron can decide whether to stay with the band or grow up to survive.
Joe Watkins said: “There were quite a few elements which inspired writing South of The River, the South London Music scene, living in Cameron’s Britain, ridiculous musicians I’ve met and played with.
“I also had a friend who died young from cancer and after he passed I would think of him every time I got into drunken antics with friends or bandmates, there’s a lot of that awkward, guilty feeling in the film.
“I’m South London and proud. I was born in Brixton and went to University in Greenwich, which is where I now live with my wife and new born son.
“As you’d expect you’ll see a lot of South London boroughs in South Of The River, especially Lambeth, Greenwich, and Lewisham, and you’ll see none of London north of the river.
“It has the best residents and certainly my favourite place in the world, has everything you could ever need, except maybe a sandy beach.”
Joe added: “Though it tackles the sad subject of cancer with the backdrop of poor South London council estates It’s a very light hearted, social realist film.
“It has a lot of humour and that was something I always wanted to make sure there was a good amount of injected into the film.
“It’s not realistic without a good amount of humour, because life is funny, no matter how hard it gets.”