Title: Fresh Cutz

Year: 2018

Runtime: 11 minutes 57 seconds

Format: Short Documentary

Genre: Observational Documentary

Location: North London, United Kingdom

Language: English / Jamaican Patois

Starring: Baggio

Cinematographer: Zac Wichlei

Director: Jessie Blue O’Hara

Editor: William Bower

Sound: Hania Pikulska

Camera Assistant: Zain Al-Basami

Producer: Aaron Kruss

Production: University of Westminster

Film Overview

Fresh Cutz is an award-winning short observational documentary set inside a North London barbershop run by Jamaican owner Baggio. The film captures the shop not just as a place for haircuts, but as a vital community hub, a space for conversation, care, culture, and connection.

Directed by Jessie Blue O’Hara, Fresh Cutz observes the rhythms of daily life inside the barbershop, where customers come not only to be groomed, but to belong.

Film Synopsis

When Jamaican barbershop owner Baggio opens his doors for the day, a sense of warmth and familiarity follows. Located in North London, Fresh Cutz has become a staple community space within the area’s multicultural neighbourhood.

Whether customers arrive for a haircut, to watch Sunday night football, to read a book, or simply for conversation and food, the barbershop functions as more than a business. Through an observational lens, Fresh Cutz documents how the space operates as a site of social well-being, cultural exchange, and everyday support.

Awards

🏆 BFI ScreenSkills — Short of the Month Winner — November 2018

Cinematography Statement

The cinematography of Fresh Cutz prioritises intimacy and presence, reflecting the barbershop’s role as a lived-in community space. The camera remains close to subjects, favouring observational coverage over formal interviews, allowing conversations and interactions to unfold naturally.

Framing emphasises shared space mirrors, doorways, and chairs, reinforcing the barbershop as a collective environment rather than a series of individual portraits. Naturalistic lighting and handheld movement were used to maintain authenticity and adaptability within the tight interior, supporting the film’s emphasis on everyday social connection.