'Fish Tank' is a social realism film which contains various codes and conventions that are typical to its genre. This can be seen in the sequence where Mia breaks into the traveller waste ground, which contains various pieces of mise en scene to help high light the working class environment. The mise en scene includes caravans and a broken car, presenting an environment which is gritty yet realistic. This use of a working class environment is typical of the social realism genre, by choosing to present an under represented class of people.
Within this scene, Mia attempts to free the horse which is chained to a tree trunk, by trying to break the chain with a hammer. This alerts the occupants of the waste land, who then go on to try and attack her. The use of a hand held camera is utilised in this scene, with the camera shaking whilst Mia is being attacked. This is a typical social realism convention that is used to help present the reality of the situation, which is the aim of the social realism genre.
The character of Mia is played by an unknown actor, who the director spotted arguing with her boyfriend at a train station. This helps portray the real life issues seen within 'Fish Tank', such as the themes of crime and alcohol abuse, by using a actor who has experienced the typical issues of the working class. This is a typical genre convention of social realism, which helps with the aim of the genre, in which to present real life problems.
