The Park (Dancing on the Rubble of Empire) | Duration: 34 minutes

A century ago, millions flocked to Wembley Park in London to witness the British Empire Exhibition, where objects and people from the colonies were displayed as spectacle. Though its pavilions have long vanished, fragments remain buried in the city’s soil and in the lives of its communities. ‘The Park (Dancing on the Rubble of Empire)’ is a new film by Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah, which meditates on these hidden inheritances, asking what it means to celebrate, play, and belong amid the rubble of empire.

Credits

Directed by Arwa Aburawa & Turab Shah

Director of Photography - Turab Shah

Editor - Arwa Aburawa

Sound Design and Music Composition - Sami El-Enany

16mm Operator - Chanthila Phaophanit

Super8 & Direct Animation - Arwa Aburawa & Turab Shah

Re-recording Mixer - Steve Bond

Camera Assistant and Sound Recordist - Jake Pentland

Colourist - Emily Russul Saib

Online Editor - Andrew Fisun

16mm and Super8 processing - Kodak Film Lab

Direct Animation processing - James Halcombe

At Northala Fields Park - Fahad, Liyana & Yusuf, Heather & Aleesha, Zamzam & Halima, Nazim

At Brent Archives - Monna Matharu, Diana Manipud

At Wembley Park - Adaeze Akabogu & Hariish Paveendran

Brent Museum and Archive Team -Diana Manipud, Rebecca Thompson & Colin Chester

Film London - FLAMIN - Rose Cupit, Nathan Geyer & Maggie Ellis

Film London - London Screen Archive - Amy Keegan & Storm Patterson

A special thanks goes to everyone who took time to speak to us at Northala Fields Park and Wembley Park, to Monna Matharu and Diana Manipud for their support and time in the archive, to Alexia Holt and Alex Marrs at Cove Park, Julia Veidt from Onsight Ltd, David Palmer at Sunbelt Rentals and Sasha Morse from Art On The Underground.

We would also like to thank Leena Habiballa for teaching us direct animation techniques, and Lamya Sadiq and Sanjida Alam for talking to us about archives.

Co-commissioned by Brent Museum & Archives and Film London through Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), London’s Screen Archives (LSA) and Film Hub London, part of the BFI Film Audience Network. Supported by Arts Council England, The National Lottery, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and BFI National Archive.

Exhibition Schedule

Metroland Gallery Exhibition | 21st November – 20th December 2025
Private view | 6 - 8pm, 20 November 2025

Opening Times | 12 - 5pm, Thurs - Sat, or out-of-hours by appointment

Location | Metroland Cultures, 91 Kilburn Square, Kilburn, NW6 6PS