London riots doc debuts on Dailymotion

Video portal Dailymotion will launch Riot from Wrong, a new documentary about the riots that shook the English capital, London, in 2011.

The one-off doc from Future Artists and Fully Focused Productions follows a group of young Londoners as they examine the media and police reaction to the riots as well as speaking to their peers about what caused the mass disturbances and asking whether they could happen again.

Future Artists’ founder Mark Ashmore said: “Modern social media like Dailymotion allows us to bypass the traditional media that got this so wrong in the first place and tell different sides of the story – so that those who care about the issues can get a more balanced picture.”

Dailymotion will have the film online for one week, starting today, marking the first time it will be available publicly free of charge. The film has previously been screened at schools and universities.

March Eychenne, head of international content for Dailymotion, said: “The deal highlights how independent content creators are increasingly looking to social media to distribute their content. This is not a slick overproduced documentary designed to make as much money as possible, it is an honest film created by people who genuinely care about this issue.”

Dailymotion is backed by Orange, which last month said it plans to invest a further €30 million in the video-sharing site after talks with Yahoo! That would have seen it become an investor in the business failed. There are plans to open a range of new international Dailymotion offices, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard told local press late last month.