Menelik Shabbaz unique masterpiece details an important area of Black British culture combining talking heads, music, archives and comedy.
This event is organised by Black History Walks as part of 61 Years Since 1965, the first ever Race Relations Act, and 20 years of the African Odysseys film series (2007)
Watch Lovers Rock trailer HERE
Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely Black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance- known as ‘scrubbing’- at parties and clubs. This dance provided a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets. Lovers Rock developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands (Police, Culture Club, UB40) These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history.
The Story of Lovers Rock saw the welcome return after an absence of 15 years, of one of our most important British storytellers, director Menelik Shabazz. He is perhaps best known for his award winning feature BURNING AN ILLUSION (1982). Menelik has previously directed work for ITV, BBC and Channel 4. Check out The Menelik Shabbazz Film Collection http://www.loversrockthefilm.com/index.php?page=dvd
The original release date for THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK was 30th September 2011 in selected cinemas in London and Birmingham and other cities.
The story of Lovers Rock secured a UK distribution deal but even when it was selling out cinemas encountered major problems
The Story of Lovers Rock is a testament to the type and quality of films African Odysseys screens as the short film, ‘My Dad, Guyana and Me’, by Noella Mingo was screened three times in London by African Odysseys and is now selected viewing on Virgin Atlantic flights from the UK to the Caribbean. Similarly, members of the African Odysseys curatorial team were the first to screen Ava Duvernay’s film ‘Middle of Nowhere’ (2012) starring a young David Oyelowo, in the UK and and African Odysseys premiered ‘Hero’ by Frances Anne Solomon at the BFI in 2019 which then went on to get international deals with BBC and Amazon.
Black History Walks website / Black History Walks Instagram
This is an African Odysseys screening. Previously at the BFI Southbank for 18 years, African Odysseys is now hosting films across London due to systemic racism at the BFI which ignored a18,400 strong petition and cancelled the popular,monthly programme there. Full details HERE African Odysseys made a point of championing Black British films like Lovers Rock and repeatedly platformed Menelik’s work at the BFI from 2007 where they had previously rejected his work
Other coming films at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre: Part of the Roots to Routes season: Stories of migration, memory and reparative justice
The Price of Memory 24th September 6.30pm Tracing the legacy of Reparations. Watch trailer HERE
Frantz Fanon in the Caribbean and the history of Capoeria in Brazil
Other coming events ww.blackhistorywalks.co.uk HERE
- 60 years of Black British Civil Rights Professor Gus John
- Black history Bus tour/ Steam train trip/River cruise
- Frantz Fanon film and talk
- Remembering Joy Gardner: Black Lives Matter 1993
- Black Women and Film Exhibition
- Graphic Novels: Publishing Black History and movies
- Mayfair, Hackney, Notting Hill, Southbank, Trafalgar Square, Regents Canal and Soho walks
- I fought the law and I won, a Black judge of 60 years of Equality legislation
- Champion Black Boxers and businessmen in 1800s London:
- Black British Boxing history