A World Is Turning

1948
Sound
40m

A lost chapter in black British film: extraordinary rushes from a documentary showcasing talented members of the black community.

Six tantalising reels of rushes are all that remain of this unfinished film showcasing talented members of Britain's black community. These scenes, often in multiple takes, include legendary jazz singer Adelaide Hall rehearsing and performing at London's Nightingale Club, a black poet speaking in verse as an African dance troupe performs, and a black surgeon operating on a white patient.

While these dramatised scenes may now appear rather awkward, this is a rare treasure - a forgotten attempt to highlight the contribution of black men and women to British society at a time when they were struggling for visibility on our screens. It's possible that A World is Turning was planned to coincide with the arrival of the first large group of West Indian immigrants on the Empire Windrush in June 1948, but filming appears to have been halted when the director fell ill.

Black Britain on Film

Striking, illuminating and sometimes surprising images of black culture, community and characters, spanning over a century of British film and TV.

From some of the earliest appearances at the dawn of the 20th century to groundbreaking postwar documentaries and contemporary features, this collection charts changing attitudes and hidden histories. Here are the trailblazers, the icons, the stereotypes, the controversies. These richly varied films uncover sometimes surprising histories of black culture and community. They tackle troubling issues of race, representation and identity. And they highlight some of the best of black British filmmaking, from the work of pioneers Horace Ové and Menelik Shabazz to later innovators John Akomfrah and Ngozi Onwurah