Nil by Mouth

Nil by Mouth (or NBM) can mean:

Nil by Mouth (film)

Nil by Mouth is a 1997 British-French drama film portraying a family of characters living in South East London. It was Gary Oldman's debut as a writer and director; the film was produced by Douglas Urbanski and Luc Besson. It stars Ray Winstone as Raymond, the abusive husband of Valerie (Kathy Burke). The film was a critical success, winning numerous awards.

Time Out considered Nil by Mouth to be the 21st best British film.

Plot

In a working class London district lives Raymond, his wife Valerie, her brother Billy, Billy's mother Janet and their grandmother Kath. Billy is a drug addict whom Raymond kicks out. The family is dysfunctional, mostly due to Raymond's short temper and violent outbursts.

Cast

Production

The film depicts the environment Oldman witnessed growing up on a council estate in South East London. Oldman's sister Laila Morse plays Janet and his mother voices a song in the film. The title is a medical instruction (literally "nothing by mouth"), meaning that a patient must not take food or water. It is set to the soundtrack "Peculiar Groove" by Frances Ashman.

Nil by Mouth (charity)

Nil by Mouth is a registered Scottish anti-sectarian charity based in Glasgow and working across Scotland. It was established in 2000 by David Graham, Louise Cumming and Cara Henderson (whose friend, Mark Scott—a Glasgow schoolboy and Celtic F.C. fan—was the victim of a sectarian murder in 1995).

The work of the charity includes working in partnerships with other organisations and supporting various programmes, helping and supporting anti-sectarian projects, delivering awareness raising workshops within schools, workplaces and community groups and supporting employers with equality good practice.

2010 sees the ten-year anniversary of the charity who believe there is a need for their campaigning work to continue to help address issues of sectarianism and religious intolerance in Scottish society.

Along with Celtic F.C., Rangers F.C., churches and Glasgow City Council, Nil by Mouth started the "Sense Over Sectarianism" campaign in 2001. The charity's founders wrote its social charter and it went on to receive a Philip Lawrence Award for its work.