Babylon
March 7-14, 2019 7:30pm
Directed by Franco Rosso | 1980
With Brinsley Forde, David N. Haynes, Trevor Laird, Victor Romero Evans
“One of the best British made films for years… It begs no sympathy, imports no glamour, but transfers to the screen with powerful rough-edged vigor a picture that has never really been seen before.”
—The Sunday Times (London)
Banned from the New York Film Festival for “being too controversial, and likely to incite racial tension” (Vivien Goldman, Time Out) and never released in the US, Franco Rosso’s incendiary 1980 film follows a young dancehall DJ (Brinsley Forde, frontman of landmark British reggae group Aswad) in Thatcher-era South London as he pursues his musical ambitions while battling fiercely against the racism and xenophobia of employers, neighbors, police, and the National Front. Written by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia) with beautiful, smoky cinematography by two-time Oscar winner Chris Menges (The Killing Fields), Babylon is fearless and unsentimental, tempered by the hazy bliss of the dancehall and set to a blistering reggae, dub, and lovers rock soundtrack anchored by Dennis Bovell. World Premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week.
Post-screening Q&As
Mar 7 at 7:30pm: Sneak preview and Q&A with Brinsley Forde and Dennis Bovell
Mar 8 at 7:30pm: Q&A with Brinsley Forde and Dennis Bovell, moderated by writer and NYU professor Vivien Goldman
RUN TIME: 95min
FORMAT: DCP
LANGUAGE: Screening with English subtitles excluding the last screening of the day
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
More Info:
Location
Peter Jay Sharp Building – BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Ave.
Brooklyn NY 11217 USA