Success/Sabotage of Lovers Rock. Plaque Delay

Black History Walks,Talks & Films

Black History is longer than a month..
2011: United Nations International Year for People of African Descent. How Positive Black Films get Blocked

Shirley Chisholm : Ran for President of the USA in 1972.. Find out more on 2.11.11. See below

Lovers Rock Success/Sabotage. Chrichlow Plaque Delayed.

:: Black Power Mixtape Fri 28 October

:: Going the Extra Mile to Support Black Film

:: The Black Woman who ran for President of the USA

:: My Nappy Roots, Heroic Black Soldiers at the BFI Sat 29 Oct

Success and Sabotage of Lovers Rock. How Positive Black Films get Blocked, Messed up and Messed around

lovers rock poster1 The Story of Lovers Rock is a film made by Menelik Shabbaz about a type of music known as Romantic Reggae and the associated lifestyle and culture of the black community in England in the 1970's/80's.

Mr Shabbbaz is an an award-winning filmmaker who was never privileged and patronised in the same way that white directors of less stature have been. Lovers Rock is his first film for fifteen years, it was refused funding by all of the major arts and culture funding bodies who came up with a list of excuses ; not relevant, no market, too niche, not really history, etc etc. Mr Shabbaz and his team went to the community and repeatedly asked for investors. Despite getting full houses and rapturous applause at several preview screenings at the BFI and the Coronet, people were long on talk but short on pulling their pockets. Fifty thousand pounds was the amount in question. Mr Shabbaz persevered, completed the film despite several last minute obstacles and amazingly managed to secure a distribution deal which meant that a company would assist in placing the film in cinemas across the country. This in itself is unusual as many black films never get distributed and are shown once or twice if at all before disappearing. The result is that people never get to enjoy, learn or benefit from the those films and there is no box office results to prove such films sell. This then puts off distributors from distributing such films and producers/studios from making such films in the first place.

Mr Shabbaz and his team got the Story of Lovers Rock on a number of screens across the country. This is what happened next..

Cinemas did not display the Lovers Rock poster in advance or on the day
Cinemas did not have the film listed on their own website or on their printed programme
Cinema staff did not know that the film was on in their cinema
Cinemas did not include the film in their weekly mail out to their regular customers
Cinemas did not play the trailer for Lovers Rock before the main feature in advance of the film opening as normally happens
Cinemas that were showing the film did not take delivery of the film or if the film failed to arrive at the stated time did not chase up the distributors they just cancelled the show even though people had booked in advance to see it
Cinemas agreed to one or two screenings at weird times like 1.30pm on a Monday

No room on screen for loving black couples.

All of the above happened before and even after the screenings began to sell out.

Lovers Rock has been selling out 400 seat cinemas at 11.30pm 7.30pm on weekdays and weekends. Lovers Rock attendance and box office takings have beaten Hollywood blockbusters on at the same venue such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. This is incredible as Tinker had heavy TV, Radio, billboard and newspaper advertising whereas Lovers Rock has none of that. Lovers Rock has had people being turned away at the door and dancing in the aisles. Cinemas were approached to screen the film or extend the run. This is what happened next..

Cinemas said no
That they could'nt see the point
That they were'nt sure if the film was 'right'
That it was'nt worth the risk
That they were'nt sure if there was any interest
That they could'nt put up posters as the directors name was spelt incorrectly
That they might give it one more day maybe
That they would definitely show it.. at 1.30pm on a Monday and Tuesday

This is the treatment that a successful independent black film that is making money is getting. Does this happen to Harry Potter ? What is the problem ? Why would you refuse to screen a film that is making money ? Is it that the film shows black people in an accurate and positive light ? Why would a film that is making money at 7.30pm on a Thursday be given a follow up slot at 1.30pm on a Monday afternoon when most people are at work or school ?

Spike Lee's film about heroic black soldiers in World War 2 Miracle at Santa Anna was blocked by its European distributors because thay did'nt 'like' the film. Mr Lee took them to court and won 45 million dollars in compensation.

Oprah Winfreys and Denzel Washingtons' Great Debaters, about black academic success, which made a profit of 15 million dollars was never even released here. Jumping the Broom an African American romantic

This image, not wanted in the UK.

comedy shows loving black families getting married. It made 31 million US dollars and got to number 3 in the US charts but will not be released in this country. Shirley Chisholm the amazing and inspirational story about the first black woman to run for President was never released here. Perhaps it was because these fims have an all black cast and the majority white population is not interested in seeing black people on the big screen. In which case how is it that 50 Cents Get Rich or Die Trying got released nationwide ? It was the story of drug dealing/prostitute mum who gets murdered and her son and his drug dealing criminal associates who get killed before he becomes a rapper. Precious a film about a homeless, illiterate, overweight black teenager who is the victim of rape and pregnancy twice by her father and physical/emotional abuse by her mother; which has a scene where black women are compared to dogs.. was on 447 screens across the country. American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington, about a drug-dealing gangster who flooded Harlem with heroin in the 70's was also on general release. Attack the Block was Joe Cornish' first ever film. As a white director he had no problem getting 6 million pounds to make a film with a majority black cast. In the film we are introduced to a mostly black criminal gang as they rob a white woman with a hint of wishing to rape her, then the lead black youth goes to his local drug lord where he gets promoted to a drug dealer. He and his mates are quite happy about this. The only thing that stops him drug dealing is the arrival of aliens from outer space. By the way, the aliens from outer space are 'black' 'So black you cant see !' and 'Blacker than my cousing Femi' according to the script.The black male lead ends up in prison. This film was heavily advertised and made the top ten. What does this say about the film industry and British culture ?
See article below for what actions you can take. Lovers Rock is out now if you have'nt seen it...

Black Power Mixtape Community Premiere plus Q & A
Friday 28 October 6.30pm-9.00pm

Q and A with Devon Thomas and Charlie Phillips

Kensington Library Theatre, Phillimore Walk W8 7RX

Tickets online only �8.00 click here to book

Further screenings on..

Sat 29 October 7pm at www.genesiscinema.co.uk Mile End

Q & A with Lee Jasper, Ismail Blahgrove and Kolton Lee.

Wed 2 November 6.30pm at Venezuelan Embassy 54 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DL. In association with Crossroads Womens Centre. Q and A with Selma James, Panther Activist and wife of CLR James. Entry by donation, proceeds to Crossroads

Sat 5 November 7pm Brixton in association with UNIHOOD. Venue to be announced more info here. Sat 12 November venue TBC

miracle 11 miracle laz

Spike Lee's Miracle at Santa Anna starring Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy and Kerry Washington. A World War two action movie with an all black cast will be shown at 2pm on Sat the 29th October . This film was never released here despite being released in the USA three years ago. it is one of many black movies with heroic characters that for some reason, are never selected for distribution, Over 15's only. At 11am on the same day we will honour the life and work of Black RAF war hero Cy Grant. Guyanese Grant flew bombers in WW2. He was shot down and spent two years in a German prison camp. He later returned to England became a Barrister, Actor and Civil Rights activist. We screen some of his classic movies plus a Q and A, with those who knew him, All ages. BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road SE1. Tube: Waterloo www.bfi.org.uk

Shirley Chisholm

The Black Woman who Ran for President in 1972. Plus Q and A

Tuesday 1 November 7.30pm (food and drinks)

Film starts 8pm www.openthegate.org.uk

Open the Gate Cafe, 35 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston N16

Tube: Dalston Junction 10 min from Liverpool Street

Train: Dalston Kingsland 10 min from Stratford

Free Entry: First come, first served

While the media obsessed about Barack Obama before and after his election they forget to mention that the first black person to seriously run for President was Shirley Chisholm way back in 1972. Chisholm was the Garveyite daughter of Guyanese and Barbadian immigrants. After becoming the first black Congresswoman,she ran for the highest office just 4 years after King was gunned down. Her story is incredible but has been suppressed. She spoke out against poverty the Vietnam War, segregation and sexism. Endorsed by the national Black Panther Party (which features in BlackPower Mixtape this Friday 28th Oct ) She was a dynamic African woman who paved the way for the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton but has been deliberately left out of history because of her race and gender. Find out more with this fascinating documentary. Arrive early for drinks and food and or get there bang on time and eat your rice and peas while watching the film

Images of Black academic success.. not wanted in the UK

Going the extra mile to support Black Films

It's well known that our TV channels have a habit of putting positive black films on very late at night. Bearing in mind the bizarre situation with Lovers Rock outlined above what can be done to support black films and encourage the accurate portrayal of peole of African descent on the big screen ?

Using Lovers Rock and Black Power Mixtape as a case study, here are some suggestions:

Be informed. Subscribe to a service which will inform you in advance that such films are in production or coming out. For mainstream movies such pre-publicity is guaranteed via gossip mags newspapers/TV news and celebrity interviews. Screen Nation has a facebook page www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk has a monthly newsletter. Colourful Radio is also a useful source as is Catch a Vibe.

Put the films date in your diary/phone, tweet it, create an event in Facebook, put a note on the fridge, text all your friends with the weblink. Tell your local radio station. Put it on your staff noticeboard, better yet organise a staff group to watch the film. If you organise a group of ten you might get in free. Contact your best friends, make a night of it and include dinner/pub .

Transformers was advertised on TV and the sides of buses. Lovers Rock and films like it never have such luxuries but they do have the internet.

Find the trailer on YouTube, copy and forward it to your entire mail list. Tell everyone that this film is unique and was refused funding by the British establishment. Positive black films literally have to fight to be made and never get the same level of funding/exposure as their

Heroic Black Soldiers ?..No market for that in UK

white counterparts. Not conspiracy theory just fact.

Once you know the cinema it's on at, ring or go online and book IMMEDIATELY (i.e Black Power Mixtape) This helps the film as the cinema/organisers can assess that proven interest and arrange for extra screenings.

Turn up on time .Some stereotypes are self reinforcing, if everyone thinks that 'it's a black thing so it will start late', and then they all turn up a 9 as opposed to 8, then the organisers are sometimes forced to delay the start. This is not good for anyone as venues charge by the hour and the organisers are then labelled unprofessional.

Tell the cinema staff/organiser that you really liked it (if you did) make a point of emailing the managers/organiser and praising them. As few as ten emails can mean extra screenings.

Be prepared to travel. Black films struggle to get venues and are not always centrally screened in purpose built cinemas. You might have to go a bit further than usual but in the same way the elders said 'you have to work twice as hard...' you may have to do that bit extra to see accurate portrayals of black people.

Black men as drug dealing, violent criminal rappers who use the N word..?..Yes please.

Understand the history of the black image. It is not accidental that the images normally shown of black people are negative. In the 1500's African people were shown in European art as noble, and dignified. In the 1800's, in order to justify slavery, these images were thrown out and replaced with demeaning stereotypes which still exist in movies, TV shows and computer games.. The effects of this bombardment of poverty, disease, criminals, gangsters, booty shaking, drug dealers, prostitutes is devastating. People can get so used to it they think its normal and reject actually alternative positive images and stories.

Widen your tastes: Menelik Shabbaz states that he was exposed to film propaganda but didn't realise it was propaganda at the time because that is all he saw. The same could be happening to you, if your diet is Hollywood blockbusters. Investigate films and topics that you're unaware of and that don't initially appeal. We screened a French documentary titled Les Avenue des Allieurs and had a poor turnout for what was a fantastic film about how the French after World War 2 invited qualified black people from the Caribbean to work in Paris to do low-skilled jobs and sent unqualified whites to have the best jobs in Martinique and Guadeloupe. Under 25's will have no clue what Lovers Rock or Black Power is, may choose not to attend and miss a fantastic piece of their history.

Don't buy pirate dvd's. It rips off the filmmaker and means less such films will be made.

Be aware that like changing your diet, the above solutions may be uncomfortable, but good for you.

You can try the above with our monthly events.. Black Power Mixtape 28 October, Spike Lee's Miracle at Santa Anna Sat 29 October, my Nappy Roots on 30th Oct, Esther Anderson's Bob Marley:Legend 17th December, African Superheroes, walks, talks and films on the African history of London all year long www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk

Check out Images of Black Women all day Hairitage event at the Tricycle Cinema, Kilburn on Sunday the 30 October all day event

My Nappy ROOTS award winning film. Celebrities speak out

Frank Crichlow Plaque Unveiling

Delayed...

Black History Walks and Nubian Jak have sponsored a special plaque to honour the memory of Frank Crichlow at the site of the legendary Mangrove Restaurant which was so crucial to Black British civil Rights in 1970's/80's. The date of the unveiling has been delayed to accomodate a larger crowd and VIP's. To find out what life was like in the 70's/80's for black people in London come to the Black Power Mixtape screening at 6.30pm as mentioned above. To find out more about Frank Crichlow see below

Dont forget our School Interventions all year long from primary to college level, staff associations presentations/films and talks to suit.

'I wanted to extend a huge thank you on behalf of the EMEAR CBEN team for visiting us over black history month.

The feedback we have received from our members has been great ! All three sessions were informative, highly engaging, thought-provoking and inspiring to each of our members.'

Rashada Harry, Cisco Systems.

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