Steve McQueen To Debut 'Mangrove,' a Movie on Racial Justice
The film will be opening the virtual BFI London Film Festival.
As COVID-19 restrictions have forced many anual events including the BFI London Film Festival to go virtual, the film institute has announced that Steve McQueen will be opening the festival with his newest title Mangrove. The movie highlights the true story of Black activists and their fight for racial justice.
McQueen’s first release since his film Widows in 2018, Mangrove is based on a true story of Mangrove 9, a group that was tried for protesting against police brutality in 1970. Their highly-publicized trial, which lasted almost two months, was the first judicial acknowledgment of the London Metropolitan Police’s behavior motivated by racial hatred.
Featuring Black Panther star Letitia Wright, Shaun Parkes and Malachi Kirby, the film is slated to premiere on October 7, the first day of the BFI London Film Festival. The title arrives as the first instalment of a series by McQueen titled Small Axe. “I couldn’t be happier that Mangrove will open this year’s BFI London Film Festival. Although the themes are universal, Mangrove is a London story. It may have happened fifty years ago, but it’s as relevant today as it was then,” the director commented on the upcoming release.
Taking place online over a course of 12 days from October 7 to 18, the BFI London Film Festival will incorporate both physical and digital experiences to ensure attendees are socially distanced. The full schedule will be announced on September 8.
