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White Colour Black
A young mixed heritage man confronts the psychological complexities of his identity in this essential, truly cinematic discovery for anyone interested in Black British cinema.
Director: Joseph A. Adesunloye
Overview
‘Where are you from? No, but where are you really from?’ This question will be familiar to any person of colour, a member of the global diaspora. It’s a question at the heart of Joseph a. Adesunloye’s striking debut, which follows Leke (Dudley O’Shaughnessy), a mixed heritage man living in London. A successful photographer, Leke’s privileged lifestyle allows him to navigate his Black British identity largely on his own hedonistic terms. But when a message from Senegal calls him ‘home’, Leke must confront the psychological intricacies of his heritage and forge a new sense of self. Moving from brooding London’s cityscapes to an almost trancelike stillness as Leke travels through to his Senegalese village in Popenguine, Adesunloye skilfully evokes the internal dichotomy Leke faces. Featuring excellent performances from O’Shaughnessy, Yrsa Daley-Ward and Wale Ojo, White Colour Black is an essential, truly cinematic discovery.
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