Postgraduate Jemma has been researching how the city of Birmingham is portrayed on our screens, acting as a backdrop to various shows in recent years. Jemma discovers the difference between how Birmingham is portrayed across our media and the reality of the city and its people.
My research delves into how Birmingham is portrayed in film and television, exploring the city’s role both as a narrative backdrop and a filming location in popular shows like Peaky Blinders, Doctors, and Man Like Mobeen. Despite Birmingham being a magnet for high-profile productions—like Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One—the city rarely appears as itself on screen. This discrepancy between the real Birmingham and its cinematic representation sparked my curiosity and led me to explore: When does Birmingham truly play itself in film and TV?
The global success of Peaky Blinders is fascinating, especially given that much of the show was not filmed in the Midlands, despite its deep ties to the city. My research asks when and how Birmingham genuinely features on screen, analysing how it is framed, used, and at times, concealed in these productions.
I use videographic criticism as my core methodology, blending documentary filmmaking with traditional academic writing. This creative approach allows me to challenge Birmingham’s fragmented on-screen identity and offers new ways to explore the representation of cities in media.
In 2024, my audiovisual work Screen Journeys Through Birmingham: the City, the Car, and the Canal was shortlisted for a Learning on Screen Award. Through my research, I aim to reshape how Birmingham’s cinematic presence is understood and to advocate for more authentic portrayals of this vibrant city on screen