This Is Shane Meadows

Four films showcasing the career of the British director. 'This is England' (2006) is Meadows' gritty portrait of teenage urban life in Thatcher's Britain of the early '80s.

With schools breaking up for the summer, 12-year-old Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) makes his way home after a fight.

Living at home with his mum in a rundown coastal town, his dad killed in the Falklands, Shaun spends a lot of time on his own and dreads the long summer break.

Expecting the worst when he runs into a group of skinheads, Shaun's surprised when they turn out to be friendly and adopt him as one of their own.

Suddenly the summer feels a whole lot better as Shaun discovers girls, parties, braces and an identity.

But the good times are threatened with the appearance of Combo (Stephen Graham), an older, in-your-face racist, just released from prison, who leads the group down a darker, violent road.

In 'Dead Man's Shoes' (2004), Richard (Paddy Considine) has always protected his simple-minded younger brother, Anthony (Tony Kebbell), but when Richard leaves his rural Midlands' village to join the army, Anthony is taken in by Sonny (Gary Stretch), a vicious local drug dealer, and his gang of thugs.

Anthony becomes the gang's pet and it amuses them to bully him and corrupt his innocence.

Seven years later Richard returns for revenge. In 'A Room For Romeo Brass' (1999), when a stranger saves 12-year-old friends Romeo and Gavin from being badly beaten up, they agree to exchange the favour by helping the stranger date Romeo's sister.

However, their new 'friend' then proceeds to draw the two youngsters into his obsessive and violent world, eventually even threatening the pair's friendship.

In '24/7' (1997) Tim is out walking in Nottingham when he comes across Darcy (Bob Hoskins), his former mentor, now living as a down-and-out.

Tim recalls how five years ago Darcy started a boxing club for the bored youths living on the local council estate, organising them for a contest against a rival club and giving them a sense of purpose.