A new BBC Two documentary revisits the death of Damilola Taylor, the 10-year-old boy whose killing in Peckham shocked Britain. Damilola: The Untold Story airs tonight (Monday, October 5) at 9pm, 26 years after his death.
Directed by filmmaker Alex Thomas, the programme brings together accounts from relatives and childhood friends, including Star Wars actor John Boyega. Boyega, who has rarely opened up about the heartbreaking events, was eight when Damilola was killed and was among the last people to see him alive. The actor, also known for Attack the Block, contributes a previously unheard interview to the programme.
Final Day Retraced
He will join other school friends as well as Damilola's family and loved ones as they speak about the impact his death has had, with the documentary retracing Damilola's final day, reports the Mirror. Damilola was walking home from an after-school club in November 2000 when he was fatally stabbed in the leg and left to die near his home in Peckham.
His death made headlines across the country and prompted debate about knife crime and the challenges facing young people. It took six years and several trials to secure convictions against two brothers, who had been aged 12 and 13 at the time of his death.
New Light on Youth Violence
The documentary looks back at Damilola's life as well as the killing and its aftermath. It also examines the youth violence that followed in the years after 2000. Earlier this year, the BBC said about the documentary: "The insiders' account of Damilola's final 24 hours and the story of what happened afterwards shed new light on the stark choices that were facing young people in our inner cities at the turn of the millennium, and how there has been a rise in knife-related crime in the twenty-five years since."
"Directed by double Grierson Award-winning filmmaker Alex Thomas (Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park), the film retraces Damilola's final day - charting his movements and examining the environment and pressures shaping the lives of young people around him at that time."
Director's Perspective
Director Alex Thomas added: "Damilola's story has never been told through the experience of the young people who were living it at the time. This film shows what it meant to grow up in an environment shaped by fear, bullying and the need to protect yourself — and how those pressures influenced the choices people made."
"Twenty-five years on, those experiences still stay with them, and many of those pressures still exist for young people today." Damilola: The Untold Story will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
