What You Need To Know About BBC’s Small Axe

Small Axe is an upcoming British-American film anthology series that will be released on BBC One and Amazon Prime Video. Steve McQueen created and directed all the films in the series while also serving as an executive producer along with Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner and Lucy Richer.

Steve McQueen, Alastair Siddons and Courttia Newland wrote the screenplay for the films. Mike Eliot and Anita Overland serve as the producers for the film series while EMU Films, Turbine Studios, BBC Studios and Amazon Studios serve as the production companies.

While the series consists of five films in total, three of them already opened earlier in September 2020 at the New York Film Festival. Due to Steve McQueen’s work with 12 Years a Slave, we are very excited to watch the five films, also about the Black identity in a white culture.

What are the films all about? When are they coming out? Are they worth watching? Well, you gotta keep on reading to find more out!

Mangrove

Mangrove, the first film in Small Axe, recounts the story of the Mangrove 9, a group of nine men and women who took out to the streets to protests against police raids that specifically profiled Black Americans. The group included the leader of the British Black Panther movement Altheia Jones-LeCointe (played by Letitia Wright) as well as Darcus Howe (played by Malachi Kirby).

Release Date: November 15, 2020

Lovers Rock

The second film is dedicated to Black youth in love and rock in the 1980s. It takes place at a blues themed party in London when the coloured crowd was still unwelcome at white parties.

Release Date: November 22, 2020

Red, White and Blue

The third film tells the story of a young Black police officer named Leroy Logan (played by John Boyega) in London who witnesses his father being assaulted by two cops.

Release Date: November 29, 2020

Alex Wheatle

Alex Wheatle (played by Sheyi Cole) a famous British novelist, who was incarcerated during the 1981 Brixton uprising, goes through a major life change and healing through this terrible event. This fourth film in the series tells his story.

Release Date: December 6, 2020

Education

The last film in the series tells the story of a young boy Kingsley who is being transferred to a school for kids with ‘special needs’ because of his disruptive behaviour in class. He and his family hardly knows that a larger play of discrimination is underhand here.

Release Date: December 13, 2020

Small Axe: Trailer