Black British cinema

Available for over a year

Matthew Sweet with a selection of music outlining a brief history of Black British cinema, from the work of Paul Robeson in the 1930s to recent films such as "Belle" and "Twelve Years A Slave". The American actor and singer Paul Robeson made a terrific impact on the UK when he arrived here in the 1930s, performing Jerome Kern's "Showboat" at Drury Lane and appearing in British films of the period such as "King Solomon's Mines"; "Song of Freedom" and "Sanders of the River". The programme goes on to feature music from films such as "Pool of London" from the '50s, and jazz-infused social realist films such as "A Taste Of Honey" and "Sapphire"; to films such as "Babylon" and "Pressure" (the first feature-length drama to be directed in Britain by a black film maker), and culminates in some of the more recent restorative history films such as "Belle" and "Twelve Years A Slave". Broadcast as part of Radio 3's exploration of issues of diversity and inclusion, connecting audiences with pioneering music and culture.