Seven years ago, London-based artist Lewis Khan happened to pass by as throngs of teenagers, bowtied, glossed and glittering, spilled out of their high school prom. The scene—one of elation, exhaustion, giddiness and hope—inspired a four-year-long project that saw Khan reach out to the school in question for permission to take portraits and video material within the prom itself. Over the years, capturing students during this right of passage became a ritual, with Khan sensitively but imaginatively capturing the full spectrum of the evening, from the initial awkwardness of the red carpet entrance, to the heat of the dancefloor, and the eventual surfacing out into the night. This long-term engagement led to an intimate connection with multiple yeargroups of students, and a culminating video work that, as Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff writes, ‘captures a glimpse of the soul of what it means to be young in London today.’

For many, a high school prom presents a unique social spectacle where all previous conventions, alliances and disputes are either upended or discarded. With a shared cognition that this is likely the last time a group will share a room together, inhibitions dissipate, risk dissolves into temptation, and senses are heightened. It is also, perhaps most importantly, a theatre for self expression, for looking your absolute best, and sharing your culture in ways that the traditional school structure does not allow. It allows young people to define themselves to their peers in a way wholly unrelated to classroom dynamics, obedience or scholarship.

Soundtracked by Lara George and narrated by poet and author Caleb Femi (who wrote a new piece titled Glass for the film), Khan has created a jubilant yet complex portrait of teenagers about to take their first steps into adulthood.