Acclaimed actor and anti-knife crime activist, Idris Elba, will explore the reality of knife crime and examine potential solutions to solve the crisis in a new powerful documentary commissioned for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Produced by 22Summers, Idris Elba: A Year of Knife Crime (w/t) will see the Luther star spend time with young offenders, bereaved families, youth workers and the police to try to understand why there has been an upward trend in knife crime.
The film will also feature Idris’ meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer (who said that his government would commit to halving knife crime if elected), and King Charles, with the pair discussing solutions to the problem with some of the young people most affected by youth violence.
Of the upcoming doc, Idris says via a BBC press release: “So many people dismiss knife crime as something that doesn’t affect them, assuming it’s a black and brown urban and gang-related problem – but this couldn’t be further from the truth. White, middle class and rural areas are also affected, perpetrators are getting younger and fear is spreading. I hope our film goes some way towards changing these stereotypes and getting everyone to engage with one of the biggest challenges of our time. For me, it’s been a tough year – but I’m hopeful.”
With Diene Petterle, 22Summers co-founder and executive producer, adding: “This film is an opportunity to understand knife crime from the inside, through those who live and breathe its reality every day, including perpetrators at Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institution. You don’t often get that kind of access.”
Gian Quaglieni, BBC commissioning editor, concludes: “The eye-opening documentary sees Idris witness first-hand the impact knife crime has on bereaved families, and also the perpetrators and wider communities. Idris and the team have worked hard to ensure the film is handled with the utmost sensitivity, care and rigour it deserves. At its core, the film asks, with everything we now know, what are the most effective approaches to tackling knife crime across the UK? We hope the documentary will be impactful with our audience.”
Idris Elba – Knives Down feat. DB Maz (Music Video)
As a teenage growing up in the British capital, Idris faced a crossroads in his life, and knows how easy it would have been to go down a different path, having grown up in what he describes as a tough part of East London, where violence was always a possibility.
As a result, Idris wants to understand why knife crime is still persistent despite some efforts to combat it.
In Idris Elba: A Year of Knife Crime the internationally revered actor will look at the causes of knife crime, including asking why someone chooses to carry a knife, and examining the effect of school exclusions and the influence of social media. Motivated by his own life experiences, he will also explore what progress has been made so far and what’s helping some young people turn away from knife crime.