Bradford Riots drama   »           «  
  Karim, a politics student, comes home for the summer to find racial tensions brewing. After a series of riots in other areas of the north of England, it appears the British National Party (BNP) is preparing to target Bradford for the next march. At the same time, the police have cancelled the local annual Asian festival, the Mela, because of possible violence.

Amidst such tension, Karim returns to his widowed father, Azad, and his elder brother, Faisal, a devout Muslim who runs a fabric shop near home in the Pakistani area of the city. Though envious of Karim’s freedom, Faisal is wary of the company his brother keeps and Karim, himself, is disturbed to see the divisions that have developed amongst his friends. 		 

Close friend, Jav, is now only concerned with cars and girls while Aki has become a ‘face’ in the local drug scene.

One day Karim is studying in the local library when Jav phones him about a big anti-Nazi demo happening in Bradford’s main square.
 
When they get there, they both agree it looks like trouble and decide to walk away but, as the police in riot gear arrive, they spot a brawl outside a pub where a group of BNP supporters are beating up one of their friends.
  Incensed that the police seem to be protecting the BNP while forcing the Asian protestors away, they are driven by the momentum of the mob and drawn into violent confrontation with the police.

At home, Karim’s father Azad is watching the riot on TV and tells a reluctant Faisal to go and find his brother. He finds Karim in the thick of the riot, but can’t persuade him to abandon his friends. As Bradford burns around him the true extent of the riot dawns on Karim and he eventually heads for home.

When questioned by his father, Karim denies any involvement. 		  Within days, Azad finds Karim's ‘Wanted’ front page picture pinned to the wall of the Mosque and furious, insists that his son hands himself in to the police, who appear to have extensive evidence of Karim’s involvement in the riot.

His lawyer is convinced that Karim’s clean record, educational attainments and remorse will induce leniency in the Judge and urges him to plead guilty.

But as the traumatic events of 9/11 completely change the mood of the country and the Muslim community feels more isolated, Karim’s case is heard in court…

 

  
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  Running time
75 minutes

Starring
Sacha Dhawan
The History Boys
Victor Banerjee
A Passage to India
Ace Bhatti
Bend It Like Beckham
Manjinder Virk

Music by Asian Dub Foundation

Written and directed by Neil Biswas

Produced by Nicolas Brown
Ladies in Lavender
White Teeth

Bradford Riots is an Oxford Film and Television Production in association with Great Meadow Productions for Channel 4