Plot
How did the boys earn an income?
The Selfish Giant (2013 film)
The film follows the lives of Arbor and Swifty, teenage boys growing up in an impoverished area of Bradford, northern England. Arbor suffers from hyperactivity disorder, which often gets him into trouble even when it is not his intention. When the boys are suspended from school after a fight, they decide to earn money collecting and selling scrap metal. They quickly realize that stealing copper from telecom, railway, and power utilities proves quite lucrative. They sell their scrap to a local scrap dealer, Kitten. Kitten owns a horse and competes in amateur harness racing. Kitten allows Swifty to work with the horse, once he realizes Swifty's surprising affection for and natural talent with horses. Kitten also lets the boys borrow the horse and a cart to collect scrap metal. Arbor is jealous of Kitten's kindness toward Swifty. Arbor decides to steal a piece of scrap from Kitten and sell it, along with some other scrap, to a dealer in Huddersfield. The plan ends up backfiring, Arbor is refused at the other dealer and unsuccessfully makes a deal with some men who offer to sell the scrap for him. Kitten finds out and physically intimidates Arbor into stealing a specific piece of high voltage electric power transmission wire to make up for his loss. The boys are not fully aware of the dangers of high voltage wire, and when Swifty goes to cut the wire, he is electrocuted and killed. Arbor is devastated and Kitten is arrested, telling the police he is responsible and allowing Arbor to escape blame. He sits resolutely outside Swifty's mother's house until, after several rejections, she allows him to hug her and share their pain. In a final scene, Arbor takes care of the horse Swifty loved.