Black Stories
Black Stories
Showcasing the best of Black culture in film and TV history.
Subscription
The Passion of RemembranceThe Passion of Remembrance
Animation & Artists Moving Image198683 minsDirector: Maureen Blackwood and Isaac Julien
In this London-set drama, the Baptiste family are caught in intergenerational debates reflecting Black viewpoints on life in Britain.
Cette MaisonCette Maison
Documentary202274 minsDirector: Miryam Charles
An experimental ghost story and docudrama exploring the profound grief stemming from an unsolved murder.
Daughters of the DustDaughters of the Dust
Drama1991112 minsDirector: Julie Dash
Julie Dash’s groundbreaking Daughters of the Dust remains urgent and poetic and continues to resonate, inspiring Beyoncé’s iconic visual album Lemonade.
Black JoyBlack Joy
Comedy197799 minsDirector: Anthony Simmons
Ben, an innocent immigrant from a remote village in Guyana, arrives in Brixton and falls prey to an assortment of streetwise characters in Anthony Simmons' Palme d’Or nominated comic drama.
Stud LifeStud Life
Drama201287 minsDirector: Campbell X
Campbell X's debut feature is a sexy, young and cool gay romance taking a unique look at a slice of British urban life.
PressurePressure
Drama1978121 minsDirector: Horace Ové
Hailed as Britain's first black feature film, Pressure is a hard-hitting, honest document of the plight of disenchanted black youths in 1970s London; now available in its new restoration.
MacunaímaMacunaíma
Comedy1969104 minsDirector: Joaquim Pedro de Andrade
An anarchic 60s comedy that mixes ancient myths, racial burlesque, and urban guerillas into a hallucinatory experience.
The WoundThe Wound
Drama201788 minsDirector: John Trengove
A traditional rite of passage ritual forms the backdrop for this tough and complex tale of closeted sexuality in South Africa.
RafikiRafiki
Drama201883 minsDirector: Wanuri Kahiu
Romantic sparks fly between the daughters of two opposing politicians in Wanuri Kahiu’s neon-bright story of forbidden love in Kenya.
Ganja & HessGanja & Hess
Horror1973113 minsDirector: Bill Gunn
Bill Gunn’s revolutionary masterpiece about two vampiric lovers received a standing ovation and the Critics’ Choice prize when it screened at Cannes in 1973.
The Harder They ComeThe Harder They Come
Drama1972103 minsDirector: Perry Henzell
The cult classic, acknowledged as the catalyst for the popularisation of reggae in the US, sees Jimmy Cliff traversing the underbelly of Jamaican shanty-town life.
Fear Eats the SoulFear Eats the Soul
Melodrama197493 minsDirector: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Fassbinder’s international breakthrough, this unconventional love story combines lucid social analysis with devastating emotional power.
Black OrpheusBlack Orpheus
Romance1959107 minsDirector: Marcel Camus
Academy Award and Palme d'Or-winning adaption of the Orpheus myth, incorporating the music, costume and dance of Brazil’s Rio Festival.
Burning an IllusionBurning an Illusion
Drama1982102 minsDirector: Menelik Shabazz
Menelik Shabazz’s pioneering first feature traces the emotional and political growth of a young black couple in Thatcher’s London.
My Name Is GulpililMy Name Is Gulpilil
Biopic2021105 minsDirector: Molly Reynolds
The Aboriginal Australian screen legend David Gulpilil takes us on the journey that was his extraordinary life and career.
ToomelahToomelah
Crime2011102 minsDirector: Ivan Sen
Growing up in a remote Aboriginal community, 10-year-old Daniel is drawn into a world of drugs and violence, forcing him to make some difficult choices, in Ivan Sen’s Cannes-nominated film.
Losing GroundLosing Ground
Drama198286 minsDirector: Kathleen Collins
A philosophy professor (Seret Scott) and an artist (Bill Gunn) reach a crisis point in their marriage, in Kathleen Collins’ groundbreaking and timeless masterpiece.
Rentals
AileyAiley
Documentary202195 minsDirector: Jamila Wignot
An immersive profile of ground-breaking and influential choreographer and founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Paris, 13th DistrictParis, 13th District
Comedy2021105 minsDirector: Jacques Audiard
Jacques Audiard ventures into new territory with a vibrant take on love and Paris, as four characters cross amorous paths in the modern city.
RocksRocks
Drama202093 minsDirector: Sarah Gavron
A vibrant and hugely engaging portrait of female friendship and growing up in London from director Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane, Suffragette), with magnetic, BAFTA-nominated performances from its young cast of non-actors.
Blind AmbitionBlind Ambition
Documentary202196 mins
A documentary about an unlikely team of Zimbabwean refugees turned top sommeliers who compete in the World Wine Tasting Championship.
Chi-RaqChi-Raq
Musical2015127 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s bold and vivacious hip-hop musical restages an ancient Greek battle-of-the-sexes in 21st-century Chicago.
WayfinderWayfinder
Animation & Artists Moving Image202284 minsDirector: Larry Achiampong
Follow the Wanderer on a profound reckoning with the landscape and culture of contemporary England in artist Larry Achiampong’s epic film.
Rebel DreadRebel Dread
Biopic202183 minsDirector: William E. Badgley
This is the story of the iconic Don Letts, the coolest cultural polymath – narrated by the man himself.
Generation RevolutionGeneration Revolution
Documentary201672 minsDirector: Usayd Younis and Cassie Quarless
This urgent, impassioned documentary follows a new generation of Black activists as they fight for social and political change in London and beyond.
YardieYardie
Crime2018102 minsDirector: Idris Elba
In his thrilling directorial debut, Idris Elba brings to life Victor Headley’s cult crime novel.
The Rape of Recy TaylorThe Rape of Recy Taylor
Documentary201791 minsDirector: Nancy Buirski
Nancy Buirski's vital documentary revisits an unjustly forgotten chapter of American history; the story of an immensely brave woman who refused to be silenced.
I Am Not Your NegroI Am Not Your Negro
Documentary201694 minsDirector: Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck’s penetrating and acclaimed documentary reconstructs an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin, chronicler of America’s Civil Rights Movement.
Amazing GraceAmazing Grace
Documentary201989 minsDirector: Alan Elliott and Sydney Pollack
Aretha Franklin, at the height of her powers, returns to the music which nurtured her prodigious talent.
Free
The Late ShowThe Late Show
Documentary196912 mins
The supreme intent and personal biography of a Black Panther contrasts with the alienating propaganda of late-night television.
Tunde's FilmTunde's Film
Documentary drama197440 mins Location: Stepney
Tired of being hassled by the police and with no job opportunities, a group of teenage East End lads plan to rob a bank.
NiceNice
Drama198426 mins
Monologue about a "nice" West Indian and his descent into postcolonial cynicism, performed by the legendary Norman Beaton.
Black Theatre of BrixtonBlack Theatre of Brixton
Documentary197512 mins
Interesting doc following the Black Theatre of Brixton, which produced more black plays in two years than the whole of English theatre had in the previous twenty-five.
Osibisa Musical GroupOsibisa Musical Group
Current affairs19803 mins Location: Plymouth
Ghanaian led Afro-Caribbean band spread infectious rhythms of world music at Plymouth’s Frankfort Gate.
Black to FrontBlack to Front
Current affairs197827 mins Location: Brixton
World in Action interviews the residents of Haycroft Road, Brixton as a controversial by-election stokes concerns about race and immigration.
Liverpool 8Liverpool 8
Current affairs197227 mins Location: Liverpool
Jonathan Dimbleby investigates racial tension on Liverpool's housing estates for This Week.
Caribbean Honeymoon No. 1Caribbean Honeymoon No. 1
Travelogue196017 mins
‘My People!’ Connor returns to his birthplace of Mayaro to celebrate his homeland’s natural beauty and manufacturing, capturing pre-independence Caribbean islands in all their glorious warmth.
The Jah PeopleThe Jah People
Documentary198122 mins Location: Handsworth
Followers of the Rastafari way of life bring tales of Haile Selassie, Jah and Zion to the streets of inner-city Birmingham.
Divide and Rule - Never!Divide and Rule - Never!
Documentary197841 mins
Young working class Londoners fight racism with the power of rock and reggae in this anarchic documentary.
Black VoteBlack Vote
Current affairs198013 mins Location: Smethwick
"There's been no active encouragement for black people to participate within the political structure of this country". A bleak picture of the lack of equality in Britain.
Carnival FantastiqueCarnival Fantastique
Documentary196018 mins
Vibrant documentary that captures Trinidad's famous street carnival in 1960.
Featured collections
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.
Black Star
Our subscription selection celebrating black stardom, focusing on British talents and pioneering performers.
We Are Parable present Who We Are
Exploring the artistry behind Black British Film.
Black Star
The UK’s biggest ever celebration of black screen talent, shining a spotlight on the charisma and creativity of trailblazing performers.
Earl Cameron
Trailblazer, groundbreaker, godfather, pioneer... we chart the trajectory of Earl Cameron’s unique film career.
We Are Parable present Who We Are
Exploring the artistry behind Black British Film.