Defiance: Fighting the Far Right is a landmark three-part series produced by Rogan Productions for Channel 4, which, for the first time on British television, uncovers the history of the British Asian led fight back against waves of fascist and racist violence in the 1970s and ‘80s. First aired over the course of three evenings in April 2024, the critically acclaimed series received a rapturous response on social media, and became a nationally trending topic for the entire week.
In a talk at Sheffield Doc Fest (2024) the filmmakers and contributors of Channel 4’s landmark series Defiance: Fighting the Far Right shared their journey of unveiling the hidden history of South Asian anti-racist activists in 1970s and ‘80s Britain.
John Akomfrah – Mimesis: African Soldier
Mimesis: African Soldier by John Akomfrah uncovers the undiscussed story of the Commonwealth soldiers who volunteered to fight in World War I: the war of their colonial masters.
Akomfrah blends archive imagery of African and Asian soldiers at work, digging trenches and fetching and carrying with original, newly filmed footage imagining the men as they leave their partners behind.
With a soundtrack that mixes African and Indian song with new compositions, John Akomfrah paints a vivid cinematic portrait of a forgotten, or overlooked history.
“The most important thing for me, the takeaway, is that African soldiers fought in this war, that they played a variety of roles in the war as foot soldiers, as carriers. Every facet, every avenue, every job in the war, if you look long enough, you will see someone of either Asian or African origin/heritage in that role.” – John Akomfrah
The film is showing at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, 1 October 2022—8 January 2023.
Monsters (2010) Dir. Gareth Edwards
‘Gareth Edwards is known for his successes with "Godzilla" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Movie™", but many people still refer to his breakout independent film, "Monsters". Hear Gareth talk about how working in tools like Premiere Pro and After Effects enabled him to work quickly in multiple locations and deliver his film "Monsters". (Interview from 2010).’ Adobe CC
On Friday 1/5/20 we were joined by Gareth Edwards (Director - Star Wars - Rogue One, Godzilla, Monsters) - Live from Los Angeles - for an online guest seminar.
Recording is on Teams for UCW/ Weston College students to watch (again), please email us if you would like the link.
Other Interviews
Reviews
Small Axe (2020) Steve McQueen
Watch Steve McQueen’s first of a series of Films ‘Small Axe’ now showing on BBC iPlayer. Superb, powerful and timely film, the first film is ‘Mangrove’.
’Fifty years ago, on 9 August 1970, 150 protestors marched against police harassment in Notting Hill. This is the true story of the Mangrove 9, a group of Black activists who were arrested for leading the protest and who changed British history by taking a stand against racial discrimination.’
The second film ‘Lovers Rock’ tells a fictional story of young love at a blues party in 1980. The film is an ode to the romantic reggae genre called lovers rock, and to the black youth who found freedom and love in its sound at London house parties, at a time when they were unwelcome in white nightclubs.
The third film 'Red, White and Blue' starring John Boyega airs Sunday 29th November at 9pm.
There’s more about Steve McQueen including his other films and exhibitions on this Poool page
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Small Axe Q&A - BFI London Film Festival
Steve McQueen talks to BFI London Film Festival programmer Tega Okiti about Mangrove and Lovers Rock
More Q&A and talks about Small Axe from New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival hosted this talk, below, about The Making of Small Axe, ‘In this lively conversation with NYFF Director of Programming Dennis Lim , McQueen and his collaborators—including co-writers Courttia Newland and Alastair Siddons, cinematographer Shabier Kirchner, and actors Shaun Parkes and Letitia Wright—dug into the making of this sprawling project and the artistic and political ambitions that have shaped it.’
With his bold and multifaceted Small Axe anthology, Steve McQueen has made the films of the moment. The three parts screened in the NYFF58 Main Slate-Lovers ...
At around 17m 10s in talk above Steve McQueen talks about the ‘Silly Games’ acapella sequence in Lovers Rock.
The Long Goodbye (2020) - Created by: Aneil Karia & Riz Ahmed
Actor, musician and activist Riz Ahmed has never been afraid to speak his mind. Whether in the roles he chooses or giving impassioned speeches in parliament, his work is reflective of what is happening in the world today. Now to coincide with the release of his new album, The Long Goodbye, Riz is releasing a new short film of the same name, as part of a collaboration with WePresent and directed by Aneil Karia. A sobering and powerful watch, The Long Goodbye imagines a dystopian near future and sees Riz unpack his feelings towards his country.
This film contains sensitive material, viewer discretion is advised.
In an online article for WeTransfer, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff goes behind the scenes with Riz and Aneil during filming.
Handsworth Songs - John Akomfrah (1986)
Black Audio Film Collective, John Akomfrah, Handsworth Songs, 1986, single channel 16mm colour film transferred to video, sound, 58 minutes 33 seconds. © Smoking Dogs Films. Courtesy Lisson Gallery
‘A film essay on race and civil disorder in 1980s Britain and the inner city riots of 1985, Handsworth Songs takes as its point of departure the civil disturbances of September and October 1985 in the Birmingham district of Handsworth and in the urban centres of London. Running throughout the film is the idea that the riots were the outcome of a protracted suppression by British society of black presence. The film portrays civil disorder as an opening onto a secret history of dissatisfaction that is connected to the national drama of industrial decline. Handsworth Songs won Britain’s most prestigious award for Documentaries, the British Film Institute Grierson Award Best Documentary in 1986.’
The film features photography by Vanley Burke and was shot on his bolex camera as discussed in recent guest seminar with us.
The film is a Black Audio Film Collective production. Artists, filmmakers and writers associated with the group include John Akomfrah, Reece Auguiste, Edward George Lina Gopaul, Avril Johnson, David Lawson, Trevor Mathison .
John Akomfrah talks about his practice as a filmmaker, how he navigates between the gallery and cinema, what compelled him to make his 2015 work Vertigo Sea,...
Also see:
BAIT (2019) - Dir. Mark Jenkin
‘Stunningly shot on a vintage 16mm camera using monochrome Kodak stock, Mark Jenkin’s remarkable new film is a timely and funny, yet poignant tale that gets right to the heart of a Cornish community facing an unwelcome change.’ Watershed
Modern-day Cornish fisherman Martin (Edward Rowe) is struggling to buy a boat while coping with family rivalry and the influx of London money, holiday-homes and stag parties to his harbour village. The summer season brings simmering tensions within the community to boiling point, with tragic consequences.
Mark Kermode reviews Bait. A fisherman without a boat - his brother having repurposed it as a tourist tripper - is displaced to the estate above the harbor after his childhood home becomes a getaway for holidaying Londoners. Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark's review of the film.