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This Is England is a 2007 film written and directed by Shane Meadows, director of other films such as A Room for Romeo Brass and Once Upon a Time in the Midlands.
The film is set in a drama centred on young skinheads in early-1980s England. Much of the film was shot in The St Ann's area of Nottingham with one section involving some abandoned houses being filmed at the former airbase RAF Newton just outside of Bingham, Nottinghamshire. Additional scenes were filmed in Grimsby, Thomas Turgoose's home town.
The film was shown at various international film festivals, including London, and special permission was granted to Meniscus for it to be shown at Grimsby's Whitgift Film Theatre. The film was given an 18 certificate by the BBFC due to its racist language and incidence of violence. However, some councils such as Bristol, Camden and Westminster have chosen to overturn this, feeling the film should reach its target audience of teenagers. The film won in the Best Film category at the British Independent Film Awards, with Thomas Turgoose winning the Most Promising Newcomer award.
Turgoose has appeared on TV and radio shows such as Soccer A.M., South Bank Show and GMTV, and has been interviewed by Edith Bowman on her BBC Radio One slot.[1] Turgoose had never acted before, had been banned from his school play for bad behaviour, and demanded £5 to turn up for the film's auditions. [2] The film was dedicated to Turgoose's mother, Sharon, who died on December 29, 2005; before she had a chance to see the film.

[edit] Themes
The film highlights the irony that although the skinhead subculture was partly based on elements of black culture, (especially Jamaican ska and reggae music), a large faction of the subculture was hijacked by white power groups such as the National Front. The story focuses on young Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), who, following bullying at school, falls in with a bunch of likeable skinheads. The new-found freedom and social acceptance he finds is short-lived, and takes a much darker turn when National Front member Combo returns from jail and reasserts his leadership, which splits the group in two. What follows is an often disturbing view of 1980s England offset by the ramifications of the Falklands War and the rise of white nationalism.

Chief among these is newcomer Thomas Turgoose as Sean, a put-upon 12-year old who finds unexpected friendship with a group of local skinheads led by the sweet natured Woody (Joseph Gilgun, another stand-out performance). These skins are a far cry from the image of racist thuggery that the movement became known for in the 80s. It's all about the music, and of course the clothes - although Sean is too small for Doc Marten boots, he still gets the haircut, the plaid shirt and the braces. For a while, everything is sweet in Sean's world. He even shares his first kiss with a Boy George lookalike with the charming name of Smell.
"A FUNNY AND DEEPLY MOVING PORTRAIT"
But soon, conflict arrives in the form of Combo (Stephen Graham, also superb), an old mate of the gang whose time in prison has left him with a strong sympathy for the National Front. Combo's racist agenda splits the gang and Sean, tragically, finds himself turning to Combo as a substitute for the father he lost in the Falklands. Meadows is an exhilarating filmmaker and This Is England is his best film to date - an honest, emotional, funny and deeply moving portrait of growing up. Don't miss it.

interview with shane meadows...http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmmaking.asp?ID=203