Stephen Poliakoff’s directorial debut Hidden City (1987) explores London with an unusual level of psychogeographic curiosity. A Channel 4 production made for their own Film on Four strand, the film exemplified the writer’s idiosyncratic approach to drama, with troubled characters attempting to find their way through the murk of modern life. It also showcases another, less discussed aspect of Poliakoff’s work: the use of setting.
Poliakoff remains one of Britain’s most preeminent writers for stage and screen. With a vast catalogue of plays, films and television dramas, his scriptwriting rummages around contemporary Britain in search of meaning in the modern age. Hidden City is a good example of how this search could be a physical as much as an emotional endeavour…
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