Handsworth Songs (John Akomfrah, 1986)

“Full of subtle, rich, and allusive argument as it is devoid of empty didacticism and stridency.”—Time Out London

A defining work of Black Audio Film Collective, a pioneering group of artists and thinkers, Handsworth Songs is a fascinating, free-form essay about race relations and civil disorder in 1980s Britain. Focusing on riots in the Handsworth district of Birmingham that were fueled by unemployment and racial tensions, this still-relevant film is built around a poetic, dub-influenced montage of images and sound to create a radical viewing experience. The film was such a conversation starter that when it premiered on Britain’s Channel 4, the Guardian ran a series of essays in which author Salman Rushdie and the great cultural theorist Stuart Hall debated the film. (61 mins., video)