Output details

Sixteen is a feature film

Sixteen is a feature film that tells the story of an African former child soldier living in London who is forced to confront his violent past when he witnesses a stabbing.

Brown’s primary research objective was to explore approaches to representing ex-soldiers who are disenfranchised from their country of origin and marginalised within British society. The research engages with the contemporary social phenomena of child soldiers through a feature length film portrait of one boy’s everyday struggle to rebuild trust and adapt to “civilized” life after war. The work was developed through a participatory and qualitative research process with former child soldiers and with organisations working to rehabilitate child soldiers, including Human Rights Watch and War Child.

Brown’s secondary research objective was to explore the economic, creative and production challenges faced by filmmakers as they make the transition from short to long form filmmaking. His research findings have, thus far, been shared through industry talks and interviews (2013).

The film was nominated for two awards at the BFI London Film Festival: the Sutherland Award, which commends the most original and innovative first feature at the London Film Festival (previous recipients include Bernardo Bertolucci, Jean Luc Godard and, more recently, Clio Barnard and Andrea Arnold); and Brown also received a Best British Newcomer nomination. Sixteen premiered at the Vue Cinema, Leicester Square on 14th October 2013 as part of the BFI London Film Festival.

Year of publication: 2013