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C91Èȱ¬ to screen London bombings drama
Filming is now complete on That
Summer Day, a break-through drama commissioned
by 91Èȱ¬ Children's from Hat Trick Productions, inspired by the events
of 7 July 2005 and told through the unique perspective of children.
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In the hours and weeks following the London bombings, the 91Èȱ¬ Children's websites were flooded with messages from the nation's children, clearly struggling to come to terms with what happened and the potentially threatening environment in which they now found themselves.
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A sensitive portrayal of the reactions of young people to the terrible events, That Summer Day aims to help younger viewers to address such important issues and to help them realise that they are not alone in the anxieties that they may still be feeling one year on.
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Written by Clive Bradley (Last Rights), this one-hour drama follows six
fictional school children, their stories - related to the themes and issues
raised by real children - woven into the reality of the day using archive
television and radio news footage.
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As the morning progresses, we see the
breaking news unfold and the different ways in which the day's events impact
on each child.
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Book-mad Marie (Susie Wokoma) has a laugh with her friend Kelly
(Rosie Mahoney), but when Kelly bullies Ayesha (Rhea
Karimpanal),
another girl at school, Marie faces a choice about who she wants to be.
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By the
end of the day, Kelly isn't the only person picking on Ayesha as her hijab
provokes a new kind of attention. Will Marie find the courage to
stand up for Ayesha when it really matters?
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Ben (Sanchez Adams)
is keen to show he doesn't care about anything or anybody, but
when the news breaks that there's been an explosion at the tube station
his Dad uses every day, he realises how important his family is
to him.
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An unexpected friendship is born between Ben and Judo-trained
Jack (Michael Curtis Parsons), who started
the day full of hope for the Olympics, but is drawn into the journey
to track down Ben's Dad.
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Director Jon East, Head of 91Èȱ¬ Children's Drama, comments: "As a public service broadcaster, it is important that 91Èȱ¬ Children's makes a diverse range of drama catering to the equally diverse needs of the nation's young audience.
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"So in addition to the more escapist forms of
comedy and fantasy, it is crucial that we also address in more direct
and useful fashion the real issues that they themselves tell us are
of pressing concern to them.
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"This film is just such a response to
the overwhelming volume of correspondence that we received from
children in the immediate aftermath of the tragic events of last
year."
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Executive Producer Mark Redhead comments: "When the drama department at 91Èȱ¬ Children's approached Hat Trick about making this programme, we felt it was an important issue to address for young viewers.
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"In the process of researching this project, we
met representatives of various charities and health organisations
related to the London bombings, as well as visiting schools to talk
to children about their feelings."
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Producer Hannah Pescod adds: "During the early stages of developing
this project we visited different schools and talked to the students there about
how the events of 7 July 2005 had affected them and their experiences on the
day itself.
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"Our writer Clive Bradley drew inspiration from
these discussions to create the fictional stories which make up his
script and which aim to address the issues, concerns and feelings
which the children themselves voiced."
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That Summer Day was filmed on location in London at Islington
Green School and is a Hat Trick production for 91Èȱ¬ Children's.
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