An anthology series of five stories looking at the lives of a group of friends and their families in London’s West Indian community from the late 1960s to the early 80s.
The film centres on Frank Crichlow, the owner of Notting Hill's Caribbean restaurant Mangrove, a lively community base for locals, intellectuals and activists.In a reign of racist terror, the local police raid Mangrove time after time, making Frank and the local community take to the streets in peaceful protest in 1970. When nine men and women, including Frank and leader of the British Black Panther Movement Altheia Jones-LeCointe and activist Darcus Howe are wrongly arrested and charged with incitement to riot, a highly publicized trial ensues, leading to hard-fought win for those fighting against discrimination.
Lovers Rock tells a fictional story of young love at a Blues party in 1980. The film is an ode to the romantic reggae genre, Lovers Rock, and to the Black youth who found freedom and love in its sound in London house parties when they were unwelcome in white nightclubs.
After seeing his father assaulted by police officers, a young black man is driven to join the force, with hopes of changing racist attitudes from within. He soon finds himself facing both his father's disapproval and racism in the ranks.
Alex Wheatle follows the true story of award-winning writer, Alex Wheatle, from a young boy through his early adult years.Having spent his childhood in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, he finally finds not only a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, but his identity and opportunity to grow his passion for music and DJing. When he is thrown in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, he confronts his past and sees a path to healing.
Education follows 12-year-old Kingsley, who has a budding passion for astronauts and rockets. But he's dubbed "disruptive" by his teachers, so is moved to a school for students with "special educational needs". Kingsley's parents work two jobs, and are unaware that the move symbolises a type of educational segregation – until a group of Caribbean women decide to do something about it.
