Imran Perretta in conversation with Ali Roche

Shot on location in Tower Hamlets, the destructors draws on Perretta’s experience growing up as a young man of Bangladeshi heritage in east London. Originally presented across two screens, the film follows a group of young Muslim men navigating the pressures of coming of age in a society that has come to view them as both a physical and ideological threat.

Referencing Graham Greene’s post-war short story The Destructors, the work reframes narratives of disaffection through the period following 9/11, marked by state-sponsored Islamophobia and the ‘War on Terror’. Through immersive sound, fragmented cinematic imagery and obscured identities, the film reflects on surveillance, austerity and the erosion of public space, while seeking moments of solidarity, resilience and shared experience.

Following the screening of the film (23 minutes, 35 seconds), Imran Perretta will be joined in conversation with the film's producer Ali Roche, to discuss the making of the destructors.