10 years on the 83

Directed by Darshan Gajjar

10 Years on the 83 is a short documentary I created for the Sheffield DocFest Filmmaker Challenge 2025. The challenge gave filmmakers just a few days to develop an idea—one day to shoot, one and a half days to edit—before premiering to a packed audience of industry professionals and the public the very next day.

The film follows Fran Batin, a veteran bus driver who has worked across Sheffield but spent many years on Route 83—a journey that links the city’s most affluent neighbourhoods with its most disadvantaged. Along this single bus route, a stark health inequality exists: residents in the more deprived areas can expect to live up to 10 years less than those at the affluent end of the line, as highlighted by a local study. This documentary was my way of giving that statistic a human face, told through Fran’s lived experience behind the wheel.

It was an honour to be part of such a prestigious festival and to use this platform to highlight a deeply important social issue—not just in Sheffield, but across the UK.

Credits:
Director/DOP/Sound Design – Darshan Gajjar
Tape Cam – Elliott Beeton
Runner – Luke Green
Editor – Jashan Walton
Producer – Chim’Di Ugada
Mentor - Waad Al-Katead
Colourist – Summer Vascare Piscikaite
Editing Facility – Sticks and Glass
Dubbing Mixer – Douglas North
Lens Rental – Not Another Rental Company (NARCo)
Special thanks to Stagecoach Buses & Fran Batin

Close-up of a section of a paved road with white dashed lane markings, showing a small crack or hole near the center.
An elderly person wearing a hat and sitting on a bus is looking out the window at a rural landscape with houses and trees.
City sidewalk with pedestrians, a tall building, and trees, with a business storefront on the right with a sign that reads 'Smart Shop'.
A blurry photo of a paved residential street lined with parked cars and brick houses, with a person crossing the street in the distance during daylight.
Bright fireworks explosion seen through a windshield at night with tree silhouettes and vehicle parts visible.