Stories of beating discrimination

SMALL AXE: ORIGINAL FILMS ABOUT WEST INDIANS HACKING AWAY AT RACISM

Title comes from ‘If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.’

The anthology series Small Axe, from Academy Award, British Academy Film Awards (Bafta) and Golden Globe-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen (Hunger, 12 Years A Slave), will be exclusively broadcast on BBC Brit, DStv channel 120, this November.

The series will be available for DStv compact subscribers across sub-Saharan African, as well as on DStv Catch Up.

BBC in partnership with Amazon Prime Video (the broadcaster of the series in the US) released the official trailer, which features footage from all five films, during the 72nd Emmy Awards telecast.

Small Axe comprises five original films set from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s that tell personal stories from London’s West Indian community, whose lives have been shaped by their own force of will, despite rampant racism and discrimination.

Its title is derived from the African proverb, “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.”

McQueen said: “I’m very excited that African audiences will have the opportunity to watch the series this year.

“Each of the five films tells a triumphant, yet unique black story that I hope resonate.”

Mangrove centres on Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the owner of Notting Hill’s Caribbean restaurant, Mangrove, which is a lively community base for locals, intellectuals and activists.

The local police raid Mangrove repeatedly, making Frank and the community take to the streets in peaceful protest in 1970.

When nine people, including Frank, leader of the British Black Panther Movement Altheia Jones-LeCointe (Letitia Wright) and activist Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby), are wrongly arrested and charged with incitement to riot, a highly publicised trial ensues, leading to a hard-fought win for those fighting against discrimination.

Lovers Rock tells a fictional story of young love and music at a house party in 1980. Amid the West Indian community’s can-do attitude, blossomed a Blues Party culture, where sweethearts could dress up, pay a small admission fee, dance to romantic Reggae songs, buy beers, eat goat curry and rice and joyously celebrate life.

Amarah-Jae St Aubyn makes her screen debut opposite Bafta 2020 Rising Star Award-recipient Micheal Ward (Top Boy).

Alex Wheatle follows the true story of the award-winning writer (Sheyi Cole).

Having spent his childhood in a mostly white care home with no love or family, he finally finds, not only a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, but his identity.

When he is thrown in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, he confronts his past and sees a path to healing.

Education 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 to the headmaster’s office for being disruptive in class, he discovers he’s being sent to a school for those with “special needs.”

Distracted by working two jobs, his parents are unaware of the unofficial segregation policy at play, preventing many black children from receiving the education they deserve until a group of West Indian women take matters into their own hands.

Red, White and Blue tells the true story of Leroy Logan (John Boyega), a young forensic scientist with a yearning to do more.

Personal stories of lives shaped by people’s own force of will

When he sees his father assaulted by two police officers, he finds himself driven to revisiting a childhood ambition to become a cop, an ambition borne from the naive hope of wanting to change racist attitudes from within.

Mangrove and Lovers Rock were included in the Cannes 2020 Official Selection, while the latter made its world premiere as the opening night film at the 58th New York Film Festival. Mangrove and Red, White and Blue featured later during the festival.

Mangrove will have its European premiere at the 64th BFI London Film Festival on 7 October.

Small Axe is executive produced by Tracey Scoffield and David Tanner for Turbine Studios and McQueen for Lammas Park.

The series is distributed internationally by BBC Studios.