Watch Young Morrissey Meet Johnny Marr in England Is Mine Trailer

A young Morrisseytrashes then rises above the stale rock scene of 1970s Manchester in the debut trailer for England Is Mine, an unauthorized biopic about the Smiths singer.

The clip opens with the future rock icon as a budding music journalist, scribing a scathing review on a typewriter. The local music scene is the sole preserve of troglodytes whose regard for subtlety and variation is comparable to a pigs passion for the slaughterhouse, narrates Steven Patrick Morrissey (Jack Lowden). In case I havent made myself clear, it wasnt very good.

Upon some prodding from visual artist friend Linder Sterling (Downton Abbeys Jessica Brown Findlay), the insular writer pursues his own music career first playing live with punk act the Nosebleeds, and later answering his door to greet teenage guitarist Johnny Marr, with whom he co-founded the Smiths.

In the film, director Mark Gill focuses strictly on Morrisseys early years in Manchester. England Is Mine marks Gills first feature project following two shorts, including 2011s Oscar-nominated The Voorman Problem.

England Is Mine premieres July 2nd at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, with a wide U.K. release following on August 4th.