Interview: Photographer Simon Wheatley on The Square Documentary 'Golden Boys' and 'Don't Call Me Urban!'

The 'Don't Call Me Urban' photographer tells us about his new film.

Images by Simon Wheatley / via Everyman Cinemas

Photographer Simon Wheatley has been an important chronicler of grime's history. Despite not being from the scene and a self-described outsider, he'd been shooting grime kids at pirate radio stations and on East London streets since all the way back in 1998, and in 2010 pulled his work together for the iconic book Don't Call Me Urban! The Time of Grime (an expanded digital version was released last year).

As well as photography, Wheatley has made several short grime documentaries, and he's now made his largest work to date — Golden Boys, a film following MC Elf Kid and Lewisham crew The Square. The film has an exclusive preview this Friday (May 13) as part of Everyman Cinema's Music-Film Festival. As well as a screening of the film at London's Screen On the Green cinema, Simon Wheatley will be joined by The Square and other special guests for a discussion about the evolution of grime, and The Square will be performing a live set. We caught up with Wheatley to talk about the film, and the reaction to Don't Call Me Urban!

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