“Ruff Sqwad - Flee FM Film” by Dumas Haddad

Returning to their pirate roots, Flee FM" emerges as a cinematic love letter to the beating heart of London's grime subculture—the iconic pirate radio scene. Crafted by the trailblazing grime pioneers, Ruff Sqwad, this short film is not merely a musical project; it's a powerful  odyssey that immerses audiences in the raw, pulsating essence of London's underground music movement.

Inspired by the dynamic universes of legendary stations such as Deja Vu, Rinse FM, and Heat FM, "Flee FM" pays homage to the very roots of pirate radio culture, inviting audiences to reawaken the electric atmosphere of clandestine broadcasts. Here, the airwaves served as a battleground for unbridled creativity and unfiltered expression, a hallmark of London's subversive music scene.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

“In crafting this film, my primary aim was to immerse audiences in the visceral and clandestine world of pirate radio, a realm that defined London's youth culture in the early 2000s, specifically bringing them back to the derelict, illegal spaces where this vibrant, DIY movement thrived. Captured solely on DV tapes due to budget constraints, these tapes now stand as our visual relic—a testament to the raw energy that permeated those illicit broadcasts, surviving today only in imperfectly ripped YouTube tapes from badly encoded DVDs.

Being a Ruff Sqwad fanatic, collaborating with them on this project is not just an honor but a milestone, bringing my journey full circle. Through this film, I aim to capture and immortalize the untamed spirit of grime's formative years, paying tribute to the era that shaped the genre, and in turn, shaped me.”

-Dumas Haddad

Credits

Starring// @slixfleeingham, @davidisaking, @princerapi @begg091

Director// Dumas Haddad/ @dumashaddad

Executive Producer// Simon Oxley/ @simonoxley

Producers// Simon Oxley, Georgia Rae Sterling-Grant/ & Dumas Haddad

Cinematographer// Courtney Bennett/ @courtneybennettdp

Production Designer// Jade Adeyemi/ @adeyumyum

Grade// Jason Wallis (ETC)/ @jasoncolourist , @electric_colour

Sound Designer// Bankey Ojo/ @bankeyojo

Editor// Dumas Haddad

@ruff_sqwad - Flee FM: The Film


Send Us Your Film

Hey filmmakers! Have a project of your own you’d like us to check out?

Previous
Previous

“Kalliyankatt Neeli- Thaikkudam Bridge” by Naren Ajith

Next
Next

“BAGGEN - SAMI RIVER” by Bruno Nogarotto