Screening: Blood Ah Go Run & Dread Beat and Blood

Join us for a screening of two important Black documentaries made at the dawn of the Thatcher era. 

Blood Ah Go Run (1982):
This prescient documentary by Menelik Shabazz (Burning an Illusion) was made in the aftermath of the New Cross Fire in January 1981, in which thirteen young black people were killed at No. 439 New Cross Road, London. This was the home of Yvonne Ruddock, whose birthday was being celebrated that night and who herself was killed in the fire. 

The bungled police investigation outraged the Black community and culminated in the formation of the New Cross Massacre Action Committee, who called a massive day of action and demonstration that is the subject of this short film.

The slogan of the march, ‘13 dead and nothing said’ became a byword for the perceived indifference of the British state - Margaret Thatcher did not express her sympathy until two months after the tragedy. The final statement of the film - ‘this is only the beginning, not the end’ - was indeed accurate, as the march was to be the first sign of nationwide unrest in the Black communities culminating in violent uprisings in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Dread Beat and Blood (1979):
This vibrant portrait of dub poet and political activist Linton Kwesi Johnson transports us back to the turbulent streets of Brixton in the late 1970s. Jamaican-born Johnson explains with precise and powerful eloquence the violence and racism meted out to Black and Asian communities in London and beyond - and how his poetry acts as a weapon in the struggle for justice.

Dread Beat and Blood, funded by the Arts Council, takes its title from Johnson's 1975 book of poetry and seminal 1978 album, recorded under the moniker Poet and the Roots. Director Franco Rossi revisited South London's sound system culture in his 1980 feature film debut, Babylon.

This event is part of a series of screenings and talks curated by Dr Clive Chijioke Nwonka for The Music is Black Festival from East Bank at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

This screening will take place at UCL East Cinema, 1 Pool Street, London, E20 2AF.

Approximate duration: 60 minutes
Recommended age guidance: 12+
Under-18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult

Content warnings
Please note these films may include 

For more information, or to discuss any individual concerns, please contact Will McKinna-Hannagan directly at w.mckinna-hannagan@ucl.ac.uk