Private Project

Spokes & Robbers

Runaway sisters Isabel and Violet drift, grift and shoplift in the hopes of skipping town. But an ironic twist of fate on the eve of their great escape sees them stranded in the marshes, where they reckon with their relationship, futures and places in the world

  • Emmanuel Li
    Director
    MUSIC FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, Have You Seen Buster?
  • Emmanuel Li
    Writer
    MUSIC FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, Have You Seen Buster?
  • Emmanuel Li
    Producer
    MUSIC FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, Have You Seen Buster?
  • Ethan Ross
    Producer
    backspace, Jo and Jade
  • Alice Sacco
    Producer
  • Samuel Dix
    Producer
  • Molly Macaskill
    Key Cast
    "Isabel"
    backspace
  • Maia Lincoln
    Key Cast
    "Violet"
    Jo and Jade, Early Works
  • Sofia Shann
    Key Cast
    "Ann"
  • Lucian Furukawa
    Composer
    MUSIC FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, Boys Will Be Boys
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Coming of Age, Crime, Adventure, Drama, Western
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Westminster
Director Biography - Emmanuel Li

Emmanuel is a young, queer storyteller and filmmaker who wants to change the way you see and experience the world. Coming from a multi-disciplinary background in theatre, magic, music and more, he crafts distinct worlds within each of his films. Versatile and diverse as these may be, they are always steeped in rich colour palettes, energised by eclectic characters and brimming with heart and humour.

In 2019, he co-founded youth-led production collective Big Tent Films, under which numerous shorts and music videos have been produced which have screened and been awarded at festivals worldwide, as well as cultivating almost 1 million views on YouTube.

At the BFI Future Film Festival 2021, Emmanuel was the recipient of the Best New Talent award for his short 'MUSIC FOR THE END OF THE WORLD'.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

'Spokes & Robbers' is a film about screaming into the abyss. About raging against the chaos of the world by finding your own freedom and seizing as much out of life as you can before it could be stolen from you. Because by the time we're gone, we'll have littered behind the debris of our influence in the form of memories and discarded objects, infused with stories that may never be uncovered yet will always be there.

We can't help but change the world around us, even if that change is minuscule.

And in the case of Isabel and Violet, they take on the big bad world headfirst with boundless energy and a somewhat naive optimism, but discover that the world is certainly bigger and badder than even they could've imagined...

Much like the sisters, we battled rain, wind, mud (lots of mud) and the occasional pop-up funfair to bring this urban fairytale to life, and we sincerely hope it sweeps you along on an exhilarating, cathartic and unforgettable ride.