Plan B’s Ill Manors puts spotlight on ‘the forgotten’
Rapper-turned-filmmaker Plan B tells Channel 4 News that Ill Manors, his directorial debut, aims to put the spotlight on a forgotten section of society.
The musician, whose real name is Ben Drew, was inspired to write and direct urban drama Ill Manors based on his experiences growing up in Forest Gate, east London.
He said: “I come from that environment and I was seeing a section of society that has been forgotten about.
“People act like this stuff doesn’t go on, that it doesn’t exist, and me making this film is bringing an awareness that yeah, it does go on.”
The semi-autobiographical tale focuses on six characters struggling to make it amid crime and violence on Drew’s home turf.
“If we all start thinking in the same way, all understanding these problems and accepting these problems, it puts the government under pressure to do something about it,” he said.
“It’s not that people shouldn’t be punished, but it’s about understanding why people like the ones in this film feel it’s OK to commit these crimes.”
The rapper has set up a trust to provide for children, who, like him, went off the rails.
“It’s not just money that’s going to fix that, it’s not a free flat and benefits – you need emotional support. You need a parent in your life.”
And earlier this year the Londoner took aim at David Cameron, telling NME magazine the prime minister’s “pig-headed” attitude was to blame for last year’s riots, in particular hitting out at spending cuts in the arts.