Divide and Rule - Never!

1 Jan 1978
Sound
41m

Young working class Londoners fight racism with the power of rock and reggae in this anarchic documentary.

This punk-infused documentary by the Newsreel Collective invites young working class Londoners to discuss their experiences of racism. First and second generation Black and Asian immigrants, as well as ex-National Front members, paint a detailed picture of discrimination in 1970s Britain. The film uses lo-fi animation, archive footage and a pulsating soundtrack to compare racial inequality in London to Britain's colonial 'divide and rule' policy, European fascism and the rise of Nazi Germany.

Reggae band The Enchanters are interviewed about their involvement with the Rock Against Racism movement, which started in 1976. The film also shows the 1978 Brick Lane Protest, organised by the Anti-Nazi League and the Hackney and Tower Hamlets Defence Committee.

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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.