STEVE MCQUEEN'S

FEATURE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

STEVE MCQUEEN'S MANGROVE OPENS THE 64TH BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

WORDS | DUNSTAN CREAVALLE

Steve McQueen’s Mangrove had its Euro- “I couldn’t be happier that Mangrove will open pean premiere on Wednesday 7 October, this year's BFI London Film Festival. Although the when it opened the BFI London Film themes are universal, Mangrove is a London story. Festival. Co-written by Steve McQueen It may have happened fifty years ago, but it’s as and Alastair Siddons, starring Letitia Wright, relevant today as it was then.” Shaun Parkes and Malachi Kirby, the film tells the The festival’s innovative 12-day offering takes true story of the Mangrove 9, the group of Black the festival to cities around the UK, with many films activists who clashed with London police during a across the programme available for virtual preprotest march in 1970, and their highly publicised mieres at home. For full details of the BFI London trial that followed. That trial became the first judi- Film Festival go to https://www.bfi.org.uk/londoncial acknowledgment of institutional racism within film-festival the Metropolitan Police. The five original films that make up the Small

Mangrove is one of five films in the Small Axe Axe collection by Academy Award, BAFTA and series, a drama anthology comprising five original Golden Globe-winning filmmaker, Steve McQueen films created and directed by Steve McQueen will air weekly on BBC One and iPlayer from for BBC One. Prior to the event, McQueen said, November into December.

MANGROVE SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER This historical film centres on Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the owner of Notting Hill's Caribbean restaurant Mangrove, which was a lively community base for locals, intellectuals and activists. Police raided Mangrove time after time, and after arrests when Frank and the local community took to the streets in peaceful protest in 1970, a very publicised trial ensued.

LOVERS ROCK SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER A story of young love at a Blues party in 1980, this film is an ode to the romantic reggae genre ‘Lovers Rock’, and to the Black youth who found freedom and love in its sound at London house parties.

SMALL AXE SCHEDULE

EDUCATION SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER This is the coming of age story of 12 year old Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy), who has a fascination for astronauts and rockets. When Kingsley is pulled into the headmaster's office for being disruptive in class, he discovers he’s being sent to a school for those with special needs. This was the unofficial segregation policy at play, preventing many Black children from having the education they deserved until a group of Caribbean women took matters into their own hands.

ALEX WHEATLE SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER A biopic of award-winning writer Alex Wheatle (Sheyi Cole), this film tells his story from a young boy and through the early adult years. Having spent his childhood in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, Wheatle finally found for the first time, in Brixton, not only a sense of community, but his identity and an ability to grow his passion.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER Leroy Logan was a young forensic scientist with a yearning to do more than his solitary laboratory work. When he saw his father assaulted by two policemen, he found himself driven to revisit his childhood ambition of becoming a police officer. This film tells Logan’s story.