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Black Britain on Film

Striking, illuminating and sometimes surprising images of black culture, community and characters, spanning over a century of British film and TV.

From some of the earliest appearances at the dawn of the 20th century to groundbreaking postwar documentaries and contemporary features, this collection charts changing attitudes and hidden histories. Here are the trailblazers, the icons, the stereotypes, the controversies. These richly varied films uncover sometimes surprising histories of black culture and community. They tackle troubling issues of race, representation and identity. And they highlight some of the best of black British filmmaking, from the work of pioneers Horace Ové and Menelik Shabazz to later innovators John Akomfrah and Ngozi Onwurah to contemporary successes Noel Clarke and Debbie Tucker Green. The collection also showcases many of the most distinctive and iconic black performers in British film and TV, including Norman Beaton, Earl Cameron, Idris Elba, Lenny Henry, Carmen Munroe, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Robeson, Rudolph Walker and Elisabeth Welch.

Welcome II the TerrordomeWelcome II the Terrordome

Drama 1995 94 minsDirector: Ngozi Onwurah

A ferocious dystopian nightmare, this was the first film directed by a Black British woman to receive a UK theatrical release.

Rent for £3.50

Flame in the StreetsFlame in the Streets

Drama 1961 93 minsDirector: Roy Ward Baker

John Mills stars as a progressive union leader who is confronted with his own internal prejudices when his daughter brings her West Indian boyfriend home.