*This film is made available for free public and educational use. We kindly request that any organisation, institution, or educational provider intending to use the film contact us in advance. Monitoring usage enables us to measure impact, secure future funding, and continue producing meaningful community-focused work. In some cases, fees may apply where applicable.
Migration & Us
Migration And Us is a short film that takes the viewer on a historical journey of The Unique Cultural Tapestry of Tower Hamlets outlines the long and complex history of migration into the East End of London. From early Asian, African and Chinese seafarers, to Huguenots, Jewish tailors, Irish labourers, Caribbean migrants, Vietnamese refugees and Bangladeshi, Somali and Eastern European communities, the film explores how each group has contributed to industry, culture and identity that makes Tower Hamlets so unique today. The film was made with support from Tower Hamlets Council with research from Fawzia Mahmood & Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives and film maker Lindsay Knight.
We Are Tower Hamlets - Photography Campaign
The Best of the World in One Borough
We Are Tower Hamlets
We Are Tower Hamlets is a community portrait and storytelling project that captures the spirit of one of London’s most diverse and dynamic boroughs, through the voices and faces of the people who call it home.
The project features residents of all ages, backgrounds, faiths and no faith, and of different abilities. Each participant shares their personal connection to Tower Hamlets, what they love, what they’ve experienced, and how this unique place has shaped their sense of identity and belonging.
Through conversations and portrait photography by Rehan Jamil. The project highlights everyday moments of kindness, resilience, and solidarity, from stories of neighbourly support to interfaith friendships, and from childhood milestones to memories of migration.
We Are Tower Hamlets celebrates what it means to live in a place where difference is not only respected but valued. It is a borough where communities are built through mutual understanding, shared experiences, and a deep-rooted commitment to inclusion and togetherness.
This is a living, breathing example of community cohesion in action. A celebration of the many voices, cultures, and contributions that make Tower Hamlets a place to live, to belong, and to thrive together.
Supported by London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Contact: nurull@mileendcommunityproject.org
