Award-winning feature film from 90s TV icon Chrystal Rose. An independent drama exploring themes of justice, history, and reconciliation.
Reparations is more than a film—it’s a journey into the heart of history, justice, and the ties that bind us. Through meticulous research and powerful performances, the story challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable truths and consider the profound impact of the past on the present.
Plus the short film ‘Too Young For Love’
Plus Q&A with director Chrystal Rose
This event is part of African Odysseys 20th anniversary celebrations (see below) we show great films from the African/Caribbean diaspora that deal with topics ignored by mainstream cinemas. In 2023 the United Nations estimated that the United Kingdom owed £18 trillion in compensation for slavery and that figure was an underestimate.
About the director
CHRYSTAL ROSE
In 1984 Chrystal won 3rd place in a Channel 4 screenplay writing competition with her original psychological thriller script, “The Fine Edge of Friendship”. Chrystal’s first novel, “What a Bitch”, was published in 1996 by Fourth Estate.
Her background is in television where she worked as a Producer and TV Presenter. In 1990 Chrystal funded her own pilots and created a talk show commissioned and aired on Carlton TV. “The Chrystal Show” ran for four series alongside “Chrystal’s Style Guide”. Chrystal was a Director of Spotlight Promotions, producing major public social events, exhibitions, concerts and managed budgets upwards of £500,000, writing business plans and forecasts.
She has owned a clothing boutique in Central London and has a line of clothes and accessories on her own label. Chrystal has written the novel, “Too Young For Love” and the book, “How To Make A Film”, which follows her progress of getting “Too Young For Love” from novel to the big screen.
She has headed negotiations in licensing agreements with British and American companies A board game that Chrystal devised and designed, “Flash & Furious”, retails in stores throughout the US, including Target. Chrystal wrote the lyrics for the original songs on the sound track for “Too Young For Love” and has written the feature script which proceeds it and the novel, both entitled, ‘United Kingdom Reparations’.
This is an African Odysseys presentation: 20 years of great Black films
African Odysseys shows educational films on Black history monthly since 2007. Previously at the British FiIm Institute Southbank until Jan 2025 when BFI cancelled the programme despite 25 academics and 18,000 petitoners writing to support. BFI had promised a 20th anniversary season at Southbank and agreed to run a legally required Race Equality Impact Assessment but failed to do either, refused to meet with the volunteer curators who had put £6 million worth of work into the charity and refused to even say what the budget was for the programme or explain why it had to end when it regularly filled up their 450 seat cinema. Join the fight for racial justice and reparations