Blacks Britannica + Reggae in a Babylon

These films from the 1970s explore the oppression of Black communities in England and the birth of British Reggae.

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Blacks Britannica (1978)
Dir. David Koff
54min, digital

Commissioned by US public broadcaster WGBH Boston, this scorching documentary, featuring incisive contributions from activists, intellectuals, and regular citizens, paints a devastating portrait of the ways that nearly every pillar of British society—from law enforcement to education to the media—conspired to construct a Black underclass. It has never been permitted to screen on British television.

Reggae In a Babylon (1978)
Dir. Wolfgang Büld
45min, DCP

This absorbing documentary portrait of the early days of British Reggae, made by the young German film student Wolfgang Büld, combines on-the-scene footage of sound system parties with stirring musical performances from the likes of Aswad and Steel Pulse (who also appear in Blacks Britannica.)