Belong

2008, 15 minutes

Gritty urban coming of age drama involving gang membership and street crime

This short drama is about a young man, Taylor,who lives with his alcoholic single mother on a council estate,searching for his place in life. In order to help him do this he joins the gang that his best friend Oscar is in. To join it he has to complete an initiation of driving a car without any lights on and the first car that flashes them- he has to shoot the driver. Taylor completes the initiation but the shooting goes wrong and he witnesses Malcolm, the driver's dad run out and try to save his son but failing, because of Taylor's actions. Haunted by this he rejects the gang only for the leader to threaten Oscar into getting Taylor back, otherwise he is out of the gang. Knowing that Taylor needs money for his mum, Oscar promises him the chance of money and a hero status as reward for his commitment to the gang. Taylor agrees,joins the gang and begins his career in crime. Weeks pass and he is making money and enjoying the riches that crime pays. The gang arrange to intervene on a planned drugs deal at an old warehouse but it all goes wrong with Taylor and Oscar entering the warehouse and getting caught and shot at. As they are running out of the warehouse Taylor gets shot, while the others escape unscathed. Taylor falls over and drops the drugs.As the gang are shouting at them to hurry up Oscar looks at Taylor on the floor, grabs the drugs, and leaves Taylor to die on the street. As Oscar is in the van with his gang he calls for an ambulance and they arrive to help Taylor. The main paramedic on the scene is the original driver's dad -Malcolm. Taylor looks at the paramedic and knows that it is Malcolm who is trying to save his life even though he took his son's away.

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