Black Stories
Black Stories
A celebration of black culture in film and TV, dive into a selection that flows deep and far.
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The Stuart Hall ProjectThe Stuart Hall Project
Documentary201399 minsDirector: John Akomfrah
Composed of film, music and photographs from the archives, a fascinating portrait of the life and times of the founder of cultural studies and the New Left Experience.
GirlhoodGirlhood
Drama2014113 minsDirector: Céline Sciamma
In the tough suburbs of Paris, sixteen-year-old Marieme decides to reinvent herself when she joins a girl gang.
Second ComingSecond Coming
Drama2014105 minsDirector: Debbie Tucker Green
What if an immaculate conception took place in a South London household? Idris Elba stars in a subtle, thought-provoking and original family drama.
HoneydripperHoneydripper
Drama2007124 minsDirector: John Sayles
Acclaimed writer-director John Sayles brings the birth of rock 'n' roll to life with electrifying effect, with Danny Glover heading up a stellar cast.
Young Soul RebelsYoung Soul Rebels
Drama1991105 minsDirector: Isaac Julien
The Queen's Silver Jubilee beats to the sounds of Funkadelic, Sylvester and the O'Jays in Isaac Julien’s feature debut.
BallastBallast
Drama200796 minsDirector: Lance Hammer
Three haunted souls are thrust into co-existence in this searing debut work from Lance Hammer, a double prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival.
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.
The Watermelon WomanThe Watermelon Woman
Comedy199785 minsDirector: Cheryl Dunye
Cheryl Dunye's smart and funny romance - thought to be the first feature directed by a black lesbian - remains a breath of fresh air decades on.
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
Thrilling re-working of the Orpheus myth, incorporating the music, costume and dance of Brazil’s Rio Festival.
Burning an IllusionBurning an Illusion
Legal and Courtroom drama1981102 minsDirector: Menelik Shabazz
Menelik Shabazz’s pioneering first feature traces the emotional and political growth of a young black couple in Thatcher’s London.
Bullet BoyBullet Boy
Drama200486 minsDirector: Saul Dibb
Ashley Walters impresses in the hard-hitting Hackney drama that’s still one of the best of Britain’s black urban crime films.
Rentals
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.
BlindspottingBlindspotting
Comedy201895 minsDirector: Carlos López Estrada
While on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend, in this electrifying Sundance hit.
HarrietHarriet
Drama2019125 minsDirector: Kasi Lemmons
Cynthia Erivo gives a show-stopping turn as the American revolutionary anti-slavery heroine Harriet Tubman in Kasi Lemmons' biopic.
Malcolm XMalcolm X
Biopic1992202 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Denzel Washington takes the lead in one of the great screen biopics, directed by Spike Lee.
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.
PrematurePremature
Drama201990 minsDirector: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Budding writer Ayanna’s life is transformed over the course of one hot Harlem summer, when a handsome and mysterious stranger walks into her life.
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.
YardieYardie
Crime2018102 minsDirector: Idris Elba
In his thrilling directorial debut, Idris Elba brings to life Victor Headley’s cult crime novel.
Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel BasquiatBoom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Documentary201775 minsDirector: Sara Driver
The story of how one of the 20th century's most important artists emerged from the post-punk, b-boy and graffiti scenes of late '70s New York.
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.
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, most recently inspiring Beyoncé’s Lemonade.
Amazing GraceAmazing Grace
Documentary201989 minsDirector: Alan Elliott
Aretha Franklin, at the height of her powers, returns to the music which nurtured her prodigious talent.
Free
Tunde's FilmTunde's Film
Documentary drama197340 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.
A World Is TurningA World Is Turning
Documentary194845 mins
A lost chapter in black British film: extraordinary rushes from a documentary showcasing talented members of the black community.
NiceNice
Drama198426 mins
Monologue about a "nice" West Indian and his descent into postcolonial cynicism, performed by the legendary Norman Beaton
Black Theatre of BritainBlack Theatre of Britain
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
News19803 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.
Afro Housing Self Build SchemeAfro Housing Self Build Scheme
Non-Fiction19746 mins Location: Small Heath
New houses for a new future? A self build housing project for Afro Caribbeans is introduced in 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.
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.
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 Star
Our subscription selection celebrating black stardom, focusing on British talents and pioneering performers.
Black Star
The UK’s biggest ever celebration of black screen talent, shining a spotlight on the charisma and creativity of trailblazing performers.
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.