For those who may not be familiar, Bristol is a city in the South West of England that is home to an incredibly diverse culture, bringing together the best that each area of the country has to offer. Bristol One City acts as a charming dedication to those ideals and the public image of Bristol. It immediately gets stuck into the day-to-day city life of its inhabitants, channelling the down-to-earth, documentary-style interview to lead its focal point.
This documentary form really creates an atmosphere of genuineness between its speakers and its intended audience, which seeks to reach far and wide. Its premise is simple, but the short film does a solid job of capturing small glimpses of each of the city’s distinct areas. Whether that’s the vibrance of its central area, its housing estates, or its seaside port setting. Its voice is clear in its dedication to showcasing each part of what Bristol has to offer. In the same vein, the city would be nothing without its faces; speakers of various races, genders and ages define what makes Bristol such a vast and culturally relevant city. Each touches on different issues, such as climate and welcoming one another into the area.
Perhaps most importantly of all, though, is the fact that the film isn’t stuck in the present moment, about what is going well now, but also asks what can be done to improve things in the future and who is the central focus of that. It pins young people as the needed focal point of the future of Bristol, as they literally are the future, rather than blindly being stuck in what is just happening now. The film goes on to detail the importance of the people, and how it and they are defined by the street art on its various walls and the music scene that can be heard in its small venues. It is a city described as “championing progression”, with shots of pride and Palestinian flags to match that relevance.
Its focus on young people being the future pairs well with the interview style, as it always has much to be detailed in a short amount of time, without ever compromising its focus on the truth about what can change in the city. It recognises that whilst it is a good city, there is always a way to improve its social and economic status.
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