Hard drugs and hard times take their toll on a British mining community in this neo-realistic drama. East Durham is a small town that for years has been centered around the nearby coal mines, but other pastimes have been capturing the attention of the locals. Emma (Emma Dawson) is a mother of two in her mid-twenties whose partner, Darren (Darren Bell), has become addicted to heroin, which has been circulating freely as of late. Emma tries to convince Darren to give up smack, but with little else to do, it proves to be an uphill struggle. Barry (Barry Gough) is a single father whose son keeps ferrets; Barry encourages his son's hobby, as it helps set him apart from the drugs, crime, and hopelessness that permeates the town. And Ray has one of the few growing businesses in town -- buying and selling the gold chains that are a local status symbol and target for small-time thieves. Ray's son has fallen prey to heroin, and he's trying to steer him back toward his early passion for horse racing. Shooting Magpies was written and directed by the members of the British filmmaking collective The Amber Collective; it was the team's first feature shot on digital video.