Small Ax (film series)

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Steve McQueen at TIFF 2013 (cropped) .jpg

Director Steve McQueen approaches his own Caribbean roots with the film series Small Ax

Small Ax is a series of films of British director Steve McQueen from the year 2020 , he for the BBC staged. It consists of five films of different lengths that report on the worlds of Caribbean immigrants in London between 1969 and 1985. The first and longest film Mangrove tells of the fight of the black population against police violence and arbitrariness in the 1960s, while the shortest part, Education, deals with the racist school system in England . Except for Lovers Rock, who accompanies a young woman on a secret visit to a party, all parts are based on historical events or real biographies. The other parts, Alex Wheatle, focus on the author of the same name and Red, White and Blue on a black policeman at the Metropolitan Police Service .

The films were broadcast on the British television broadcaster BBC One on five consecutive Sundays from mid-November to December 2020 and were later included in the Amazon Prime streaming service .

overview

British director Steve McQueen directed it . A year after his success with 12 Years a Slave at the 2014 Academy Awards, it was announced that he was planning a six-part series for the BBC. From this idea McQueen ultimately developed a five-part film series.

Born in 1969, the Caribbean-born parents of McQueen came to Great Britain at the invitation of World War II. In the films, the director processed family stories of this kind and his own memories (e.g. his own reading difficulties as a child). Each film in the series illuminates a different, little-known story about the "Black Proud" at different times from different black perspectives. They also feature the heroes of the British Windrush Generation , members of the black diaspora who speak in their own dialects and indulge in their culture, and play from 1969 to 1985.

No. premiere title length Director script
1 25 Sep 2020 mangrove 127 min Steve McQueen Steve McQueen,
Alastair Siddons (1,4,5),
Courttia Newland (2,3)
2 17 Sep 2020 Lovers rock 70 min
3 Oct 3, 2020 Red, white and blue 80 min
4th Dec 6, 2020 Alex Wheatle 66 min
5 Dec 13, 2020 Education 63 min

The title of the film series refers to a Jamaican proverb and its use in the song Small Ax by Bob Marley , which says: If you are the big, big tree, Let me tell you that: we are the small ax, Ready to cut you down. This shows that relatively marginal or small dissenting voices can successfully challenge more powerful ones.

The helmet, which can be found in the lettering for the series, has adorned the logo of the British reggae label Trojan Records since 1967

In the lettering or logo that Steve McQueen had designed for the series, a Trojan helmet is placed between the two words. It is the helmet that has adorned the logo of the British reggae label Trojan Records since 1967 . The label pioneered the worldwide triumph of reggae music. In 1971 Trojan Records released the first version of Marley's song Small Ax . The title also refers to the "small acts", the little acts that, repeatedly repeated, are supposed to bring down the racist British system from within and from outside, according to Jan Kedves of Zeit Online in his reading of the title.

The premiere of the first two parts Mangrove and Lovers Rock was originally planned for May 2020 at the 73rd Cannes International Film Festival , but had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Director McQueen dedicated both parts to the African American George Floyd , who was killed in a violent arrest that same month. The five films were broadcast by BBC One on five consecutive Sundays (November 15 to December 13) from mid-November to December 2020 and were later included in the Amazon Prime streaming service . McQueen had chosen the British television station because of its wider distribution. “The reason I wanted it on the BBC was because I wanted my mom to see it. I've always said that from day one [...] These are national stories, so I wanted these stories to go through the bloodstream of the country, "said McQueen.

Background and plot

I. Mangrove

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Letitia Wright plays in Mangrove Black Panther member Altheia Jones Lecointe

The Mangrove Nine, the eponymous for the opening film Mangrove, were a group of British black activists who were indicted for rioting in 1970. Their process took 55 days. They have all been acquitted of the most serious charges. During the trial, racist behavior was first detected in the UK by the Metropolitan Police . The "Mangrove" after which the nine were named was a restaurant and an important meeting place for the black community in the Notting Hill area, including black intellectuals and activists.

In the film, Trinidad-born Frank Crichlow has just opened a restaurant in Notting Hill, London. A racist police officer has a problem with black people and believes the "Mangrove" is a meeting place for criminals and prostitutes. So he decides to break Crichlow. In the following weeks, Pulley and his colleagues kept coming into the mangrove as part of unannounced police raids, attacking guests and employees, shouting racist insults and causing considerable damage every time.

II. Lovers Rock

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Micheal Ward plays Franklyn in Lovers Rock , Martha's flirt that night

Lovers Rock is set in a single night in 1980, the story is fictional and of the Small Ax films, the only one that does not deal with a historical event. The title of the film refers to Lovers Rock , a style of reggae that developed from Great Britain in the mid-1970s. For McQueen, Lovers Rock is, according to his own statements, the musical he has always wanted to make. The story behind the film is inspired by McQueen's aunt Molly as a young woman who was not allowed to go to parties like this at the time, but his uncle left the back door open for her so she could sneak out of the house. The dedication mentioned in the credits reads “for all lovers and rockers”.

One Saturday evening in the film, young Martha (played by Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn ) sneaks out of her parents' home in Ealing. She meets with her friend Patty, and together the two teenagers ride a double-decker bus to Notting Hill. Your destination is the house of Cynthia, who is throwing a party for her 17th birthday. A DJ group called Mercury Sound around DJ Parker B put up big speakers and everything else to set the mood with music. Little by little, Parker B lures the guests onto the dance floor.

III. Red, white and blue

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John Boyega plays the cop Leroy Logan in Red, White and Blue

In Red, White and Blue , John Boyega plays the real-life cop Leroy Logan. He worked for the London Metropolitan Police and wanted to change the unit from the inside out after seeing his father being attacked by two police officers. Logan was appointed an MBE by the Queen in 2001 for his role in developing anti-racist policies for policing. After 30 years of service, he retired as superintendent in 2013. Logan's story also reflects the decision of McQueen's brother, who, as an idealist with the idea of ​​being able to change something, went to the Metropolitan Police after graduating from university, but resigned from police service two years later.

The actor John Boyega, who took on the role of Leroy Logan, had become an important figure in the anti-racist protest movement himself at the time of the filming. His emotional speech at the London Black Lives Matter demo in June 2020 received a lot of attention.

In the film, after a six-week training course at the Academy, where he is the only black contender, Logan is shown to feel his outsider role and the institutional racism in the later deployment.

IV. Alex Wheatle

Five years before the Alex Wheatle film was released , McQueen and his writing team had a date with Alex Wheatle . London-born Wheatle's parents come from Jamaica. He had started writing as an adult. First he wrote about everyday life in Brixton, for example in his first novel Brixton Rock from 1999, in which he tells the story of a 16-year-old boy of mixed race in the 1980s who lives in Brixton. Further novels, which are classified as youth literature, followed. In 2008 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services to the literature.

The film shows Alex Wheatle (played by Sheyi Cole or Asad-Shareef Muhammad ) spending his childhood in a predominantly white nursing home. Later he discovered his passion for music in Brixton. But Brixton is a powder keg, and after three days of unrest in April 1981, he is jailed. However, this place opens up unimagined possibilities for Alex. The young man discovered his love for literature and, encouraged by his fellow prisoner Simeon to broaden his horizons, acquired a certain education.

V. Education

The BBC says of Education the film reveals "the nefarious story of the Haringey Council's 1971 educational segregation policy ". During the course of the film it becomes clear that “special” in the school system is a code word for segregation, which was a result of IQ tests in childhood, according to which immigrant children in London's Haringey district were classified as “educationally abnormal”.

In the film, Kenyah Sandy plays 12-year-old Kingsley, who is classified by the school principal as inferior to his classmates. He recommends Kingsley's parents send him to a "special" school for people with "special needs." With the help of a representative of the Black Education Movement, the mother soon realizes that the British school system systematically underestimates children from Afro-Caribbean families and thus blocks their chances of higher education. An objection to the retraining must be submitted by mail to the Minister of Education Margaret Thatcher .

Shooting and locations

Shabier Kirchner acted as cameraman for all five films in the series . Although he had little experience and was only responsible for Only You , Skate Kitchen and Bull in this role, McQueen trusted the intuition of the self-taught man. Kirchner, who was born in Antigua, said he did his best to do justice to his West Indian culture.

McQueen and Kirchner approached each film in different ways and shot them all in different formats. For Mangrove , they used 35mm footage , which gave the film something grainy. Lovers Rock was shot digitally on an Alexa Mini. In Lovers Rock , the camera was suspended above his head on Kirchner's back, which gave him freedom of movement in the leg area during the party scenes on the film set, but also enabled the actors to move freely around the room. Red, White and Blue was shot in triplicate on 35mm, as it was important to stage the face of the main actor John Boyega. Education , like the old BBC films of the 1970s, was shot on 16mm .

Most of the filming took place in London, including Brixton, West Ealing, Kilburn and Deptford. Main filming began in June 2019. Mangrove was headed north of London, where the streets of Notting Hill in London had been recreated in Kilburn , where the protest march took place in the film, and the set adapted to the 1960s. Recordings for other films were made in the English city of Wolverhampton in Metropolitan County West Midlands , for example for Red, White and Blue , with the scenes for Leroy Logan's Hornsey operation being shot on Goldthorn Avenue . The Shire Hall campus of the University of Wolverhampton at Stafford served as the backdrop for the Police Training College at Hendon in Red, White and Blue . The recordings for Education were also made in Wolverhampton.

Film music and soundtracks

Mica Levi also works as a DJ in London under the stage name Micachuals, as does guitarist, bassist and record producer Dennis Bovell Mica Levi also works as a DJ in London under the stage name Micachuals, as does guitarist, bassist and record producer Dennis Bovell
Mica Levi also works
as a DJ in London under the stage name Micachuals, as does guitarist,
bassist and record producer Dennis Bovell

The score was composed by Mica Levi . Their bass-heavy music is primarily used sparingly in Mangrove , but also in Red, White and Blue and Lovers Rock . The British musician and composer started out as a DJ in London as a young adult and works under the stage name Micachu. One of their mix tapes also quickly enjoyed great popularity in the local club scene.

Ed Bailie acted as the film's music supervisor, bringing musician Dennis Bovell on board . Born in Barbados, guitarist, bassist and record producer Bovell was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi and mainly published dub reggae recordings under his own name and under his pseudonym Blackbeard. Bovell is also known for his decades of collaboration with Linton Kwesi Johnson .

Again and again in the Small Ax film series , Bailie and Bovell tell of the musical success stories of some Afro-Caribbean artists. "Every film has its own musical identity," says Bailie, even if there is an overlap. In Lovers Rock it go rather too rocky, in Alex Wheatle roots reggae was used and in Red, White and Blue was all a bit soulful, so Bailie. The choice of music remained true to the theme and the time in which the films were played. Authenticity was hugely important to her work, says Bailie: "We wanted Lovers Rock viewers to feel nostalgia for the blues parties they attended when they were young." They wanted the setting in every movie with interesting, but Accompanied by credible music picks, which at the same time inspire new fans, but should also evoke the memories of others.

In Lovers Rock finds Silly Games of Janet Kay one use. The song made her the first British-born black woman to top the UK charts in 1979. Bovell makes a cameo in the Silly scene.

In Red, White and Blue , How Can You Mend a Broken Heart , actually by the Bee Gees , sung here by US singer and preacher Al Green , is played when Logan has to say goodbye to his wife and family for six weeks. It illustrates his feeling of being torn between his destiny and the obligations to his loved ones. The film uses Greens For The Good Times in the credits .

A soundtrack album is in the works.

reception

Reviews

Jan Kedves of Zeit Online writes that Steve McQueen woven refined recurring motifs into the five films, even if their actions are not directly based on one another. So you know the siren from the first film Mangrove , in which the howling announces a raid. In Lovers Rock then the DJ fires the noise at the party as a sound effect. The camera is fantastic in all five films, Kedves continues. Shabier Kirchner sometimes keeps his attitudes so long and static that the tension is almost unbearable. In the more dynamic scenes, such as the demonstrations and brawls in addition to the party, the camera is so close to the protagonists and in the action that one wonders where there was room for a camera, says Kedves.

In a short review, Kedve's colleague Wenke Husman summarizes Small Ax as “five cinematic poems full of beauty, poetry and music”. She was bothered by the term "series" and classified the work more as an " anthology ". Dominik Kamalzadeh ( Der Standard ) also called Small Ax an anthology. McQueen does not stop there "not to victimize his characters". “Each of the films poses the question from a different point of view, how one can free oneself out of misery or gain one's civil rights. In insisting on initiative and the need for collective initiatives, the films are in line with the politics of Black Lives Matter, ”says Kamalzadeh, who also perceived“ a hidden object full of nuances ”after he“ sometimes had a tendency to be too much in McQueen's earlier works full-bodied gestures ”.

Hannah Pilarczyk sees Small Ax im Spiegel as one of the cultural highlights of the year 2020, which was marked by the COVID pandemic, as well as a miniseries and film series. She recommended watching the films in the order given. "Each episode works on its own, but only together do they begin to shimmer and sound: Figures from contemporary history emerge and at the same time fit into the portrait of a community in a way that television has not yet created in this complexity," said Pilarczyk. In retrospect, McQueen's earlier films appeared "like necessary preparatory exercises" for the Small Ax series: "Everything is there, the preoccupation with British history from" Hunger ", the character studies from" Shame ", the racism analysis from" 12 Years a Slave "and the narrative efficiency from » Widows «, but now combined in a unique project. ”According to Pilarczyk, the five films in the series would also send out constant impulses to deal with the unknown individual people, the music or the books of z. B. Alex Wheatle to deal with.

On the website Rotten Tomatoes keeps Small Ax currently a rating of 97 percent. The detailed critic ratings for the individual films as well as for the competitor platform Metacritic in comparison:

Movie Rotten Tomatoes rating Metacritic rating
mangrove 99 percent (113 reviews)
(8.84 / 10 points) 		90 percent (26 reviews)
Lovers rock 98 percent (109 reviews)
(8.83 / 10 points) 		95 percent (27 reviews)
Red, white and blue 97 percent (77 reviews)
(8.37 / 10 points) 		84 percent (18 reviews)
Alex Wheatle 97 percent (36 reviews)
(7.38 / 10 points) 		77 percent (17 reviews)
Education 95 percent (39 reviews)
(8.04 / 10 points) 		87 percent (15 reviews)

Awards (selection)

Critics' Choice Television Awards 2021

Independent Spirit Awards 2021

  • Nomination for Best New Scripted Series

London Critics' Circle Film Awards 2021

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 2020

National Society of Film Critics Awards 2021

  • First Runner-up for Best Director (Steve McQuee)
  • First runner-up for the best camera (Shabier Kirchner for Lovers Rock )

New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2020

  • Award for the best camera (Shabier Kirchner, for all films in the Small Ax series)

For further nominations and awards for the individual films see also:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ John Plunkett: Steve McQueen to make BBC drama set in Enoch Powell's 'rivers of blood' era. In: The Guardian, August 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ Zack Sharf: Steve McQueen's 'Small Ax' TV Series Is Now Five Movies Dedicated to George Floyd. In: indiewire.com, June 3, 2020.
  3. ↑ BBC One release trailer for Small Ax film, Mangrove, to mark 50 years since the Mangrove protest. In: bbc.co.uk, August 7, 2020.
  4. ^ Jeannette Catsoulis: 'Small Ax' Review: The Agonies and Ecstasies of Black British Lives. In: The New York Times, December 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ a b c Hannah Pilarczyk: Breaking all rules . In: Spiegel Online, December 19, 2020 (accessed January 2, 2021).
  6. ↑ a b Peter Debruge: 'Education' Review: Steve McQueen's 'Small Ax' Capper Can Teach Us a Thing or Two. In: Variety, December 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ Amon Warmann: 'Small Ax': Steve McQueen's Landmark Anthology, Ranked. In: Variety, December 13, 2020.
  8. ↑ Small Ax . In: amazon.de (accessed on January 4, 2021).
  9. ↑ David Rooney, 'Mangrove': Film Review. In: The Hollywood Reporter, September 25, 2020.
  10. ↑ Peter White: 'Small Ax': BBC Unveils First-Look At Steve McQueen Period Drama. In: deadline.com, September 10, 2019.
  11. ↑ zeit.de
  12. ↑ Mangrove . In: cannes2020.festival-cannes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  13. ↑ Lovers Rock . In: cannes2020.festival-cannes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  14. ↑ Steve McQueen dedicates two new films to George Floyd. In: ksta.de, June 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ Fay Watson: Small Ax BBC release date: How many episodes are in Small Ax? . In: express.co.uk, December 12, 2020 (accessed January 4, 2021).
  16. ↑ Eric Kohn: 'Lovers Rock' Review: Steve McQueen's 'Small Ax' Film Has One of the Best Dance Parties Ever Filmed. In: indiewire.com, September 17, 2020.
  17. ↑ a b Small Ax - Lovers Rock. In: bbc.co.uk, November 16, 2020.
  18. ^ K. Austin Collins, The Dance Floor Is Always at the Center of Steve McQueen's 'Lovers Rock'. In: Rolling Stone, November 28, 2020.
  19. ↑ David Rooney, 'Lovers Rock': Film Review. In: The Hollywood Reporter, September 17, 2020.
  20. ↑ Lovers Rock. In: sbiff.org. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  21. ↑ Hoai-Tran Bui: 'Lovers Rock' Review: The Exuberant First Film in Steve McQueen's 'Small Ax' Anthology Gets You In the Mood. In: slashfilm.com, September 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ Joshua Surtees: McQueen's 'Small Ax' Cutting Down Big Trees - Oscar-winning Film Director Speaks About New Anthology, Britain And Telling Caribbean Stories. In: The Cleaner, December 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ Catherine Shoard: John Boyega's rousing Black Lives Matter speech wins praise and support. In: The Guardian, June 4, 2020.
  24. ↑ Tim Lindemann: Streaming tip: "Small Ax". In: epd Film, December 23, 2020.
  25. ↑ Suyin Haynes: Alex Wheatle on the Life Story That Inspired Steve McQueen's Latest 'Small Ax' Film. In: Time, December 11, 2020.
  26. ↑ Steve McQueen's Small Ax to feature Haringey education segration policy film. In: inkl.com, September 14, 2020.
  27. ^ A b c d Aaron E. Hunt: "The manifesto was: let's trust our heritage, our talent and each other": Shabier Kirchner on shooting Small Ax. In: bfi.org.uk, December 1, 2020.
  28. ↑ Shabier Kirchner: 25 New Faces of Independent Film. In: filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  29. ↑ a b Shabier Kirchner: 25 New Faces of Independent Film. In: filmmakermagazine.com. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  30. ↑ a b c Tamal Kundu: Where Was Small Ax (2020) Filmed? . In: thecinemaholic.com, November 20, 2020.
  31. ↑ DP Shabier Kirchner used Kodak 35mm & 16mm film for Steve McQueen's acclaimed 'Small Ax' anthology, including the feature-length 'Mangrove'. In: kodak.com, November 22, 2020.
  32. ↑ a b c James Medd: Where 'Small Ax' is filmed? In: cntraveller.com, November 17, 2020.
  33. ↑ Sam Ramsden: BBC's 'Red, White, & Blue' Is Set In London But Filmed Scenes Up North. In: bustle.com, November 25, 2020.
  34. ↑ Mica Levi Scoring Steve McQueen's 'Lovers Rock'. In: filmmusicreporter.com, 17. 2020.
  35. ^ Music on Films: Small Ax. In: stampthewax.com, December 18, 2020.
  36. ↑ a b Jamie Davis: Small Ax: Mangrove, Lovers Rock, & Red, White and Blue. In: moviejawn.com, October 8, 2020.
  37. ↑ Lanre Bakare: Steve McQueen: 'Our Marlon Brandos are on building sites, or driving buses'. In: The Guardian, October 3, 2020.
  38. ^ David Hudson: Steve McQueen's Small Ax. In: Criterion, October 5, 2020.
  39. ↑ Jazz Tangcay: Director Steve McQueen Explains Why Music Is the 'Heartbeat' of 'Small Ax'. In: Variety, December 3, 2020.
  40. ^ A b c d Nadia Neophytou: The Music of Steve McQueen's Small Ax Series. In: American Songwriter, November 27, 2020.
  41. ↑ Jan Kedves: "Small Ax": Sound is her blood. In: Zeit Online, December 15, 2020.
  42. ↑ zeit.de
  43. ↑ The best films against quiet days . In: zeit.de, December 16, 2020 (accessed January 2, 2021).
  44. ↑ Dominik Kamalzadeh: Turmoil and ecstasy. In: The Standard . December 12, 2020, p. 34.
  45. ↑ Small Ax . In: rottentomatoes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  46. ↑ Mangrove . In: rottentomatoes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  47. ↑ Mangrove . In: metacritic.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  48. ↑ Lovers Rock . In: rottentomatoes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  49. ↑ Lovers Rock . In: metacritic.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  50. ↑ Red, White and Blue . In: rottentomatoes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  51. ↑ Red, White and Blue . In: metacritic.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  52. ↑ Alex Wheatle . In: rottentomatoes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  53. ↑ Alex Wheatle . In: metacritic.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  54. ^ Education . In: rottentomatoes.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  55. ^ Education . In: metacritic.com (accessed January 2, 2021).
  56. ↑ Dino-Ray Ramos: Critics Choice Awards Nominations: 'Ozark', 'The Crown' Lead TV Series Noms . In: Deadline.com on January 18, 2021, accessed on January 18, 2021.
  57. ↑ Zack Sharf: 2021 Independent Spirit Award Nominations List. In: indiewire.com, January 26, 2021.
  58. ^ Andreas Wiseman: Female Filmmakers Lead Nominees For London Critics' Circle Film Awards . In: Deadline.com on January 12, 2021, accessed on January 12, 2021.
  59. ↑ Ryan Lattanzio: LA Film Critics Announce 2020 Award Winners: Glynn Turman, Youn Yuh-jung, and More. In: indiewire.com, December 20, 2020.
  60. ↑ Patrick Hipes: National Society Of Film Critics Awards Voting Underway. In: deadline.com, January 9, 2021.
  61. ^ Clayton Davis: New York Film Critics Circle Announces Winners. In: Variety, December 18, 2020.