A Street United: Power to The People in Glasgow

As headlines teem with ICE raids and reactionary uproars, Felipe Bustos Sierra's riveting documentary “Everybody to Kenmure Street” dishes up a history lesson with a twist. Documenting a spontaneous 2021 protest on an otherwise quiet Glasgow street, Sierra melds archival footage, re-enactments, social media snippets, and contemporary interviews to paint a compelling picture of a neighbourhood sprung into action to guard their own against a backdrop of escalating tension between the people and the powers that be.

Taking a bold step into the deep end of history's pool, Sierra and editor Colin Monie whisk up a montage that ducks and dives through snapshots of suffragettes, illustrations of slave routes, and vintage TV sequences of 70s union protests against the Thatcher administration to tether the ordinary lives of the film’s modern-day Glaswegians to an extraordinary political legacy that many of us secretly share. This historical tapestry sets the stage for the film's main event: a UK Immigration Enforcement van poised outside a nondescript brownstone, a sight that stirs viewers into alertness.

The story takes place in Pollokshields, a Glasgow neighbourhood buzzing with a strong Muslim community. On a significant Islamic day, Eid al-Fitr, the UK Home Office launches 'dawn raids'. Before two Sikh immigrants settled there for a decade or more could be whisked away, a tiny stir buzzes into action. These exciting moments are chronicled through interviews with the day's observers and shaky cellphone footage. Rumors and whispers soon confirm a brave, anonymous soul has wedged himself under the van at significant personal risk, halting its departure with the detained migrants. As the hours roll on, residents recall their digital neighbourhood watch springing to life with messages, while nearby locals join the ranks blocking the van's path. Adding fuel to the fire, Scotland Yard pitch in with additional neon-clad offices to aid their comrades.

“Everybody to Kenmure Streets” draws its strength from the slow, steady hum of community action. Recollections, primarily from locals, are framed in surprisingly regal angles against vivid backdrops creating a striking contrast between everyday citizens and heroic portraits. They speak of their unwavering determination to protect their neighbors with an inspiring matter-of-factness. Guarding identities of some key players such as the brave van-crawler and a vigilant nurse, their words bring to life the moment through dramatic re-enactments featuring powerful actresses like Emma Thompson and Kate Dickie.

The pool of on-camera contributors swells as dramatically as the crowd of protesters on the day. As more people gather, donned with signs and snacks, the tension between law enforcement and the people escalates. At the same time, the documentary makes clever pit stops at relevant historical markers. This is not a mob but an informed legion, able to connect the dots between current political climate, their city's dark past in the Transatlantic slave trade, and distinct solidarity movements like the early support for Nelson Mandela in Glasgow.

The culmination of “Everybody to Kenmure Street” spotlights power – who wields it, and how it can be reclaimed by those united in community and solidarity. Honing in on a single face-off in a broader battle, the collected images of a rising tide of dissent against prejudice-fueled policies becomes an electrifying testament to a community's power, elegantly framed through Sierra's lens that pays homage to everyday people and their demonstration of power in unity.