Ten Films You Should See If You Love Black People

FILM 7

from the Ebony/Jet site by Jacquie Jones

Handsworth Songs

John Akomfrah

The thing that continues to amaze me about this film is how new it looks, no matter what year you see it. Produced shortly following a period of civil unrest by black citizens of England’s cities in the 80s, Handsworth Song weaves together visual and audio elements that testify on behalf of a community that is depressed and marginalized. The themes are not new – police brutality, poor public facilities and plain-old racism – but the story lays itself out in a style that can only be described as “new media,” even though the film is twenty years old. It will also connect you to the experience of black Europeans in ways most of us never think of.

From IW: I have to admit, even I have never heard of this film--but this is one of the reasons why this blog exists, to seek out the new and/or different. I am always interested to see the perspectives of other Blacks living in non-black countries, which is why I love the blog Charcoal Ink. Our folkses in the UK deal with racism just as intensely as we do here, maybe even more. Sad.