Xposé
Xposé is the place for news, views and critical writing from The New Black Film Collective and allies.
SEA STAR (TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)
As Chris steps into the pool at his first ever swimming lesson, we watch his attempts to face his past, battle his emotions and overcome a fear of water passed down through generations.
A Story Left Behind (Sheffield DocFest)
A Story Left Behind is a fascinating, elegantly haunting and moving short film that uncovers a hidden gem in Sheffield’s overlooked history.
Kethiwe Ngobo Interview (Sheffield Docfest)
Kethiwe Ngobo’s And She Didn’t Die uncovers the radical journey of her mother Lauretta Nogobo from South African revolutionary to exile, who spoke of liberation through her transformative and feminist storytelling, to the cost of activism. Raising her children in rural South Africa and then becoming a headmistress in the UK, Lauretta's powerful works are told through incredible archive footage interwoven with her own words.
Hind Meddeb Interview (Sheffield Docfest)
Hind Meddeb’s Sudan, Remember Us (2024) centres the exceptional human power of art, music and revolution of the Sudanese youth who resist the brutal regime of Omar Al-Bashir. Beginning in Khartoum just after the fall of the dictator in 2019, Meddeb documents the protests filled by art and poetry as they demand democracy and human rights. However, victory is soon overturned as a military ruthlessly dissolves the activist frontline and civil war breaks tears through the country. While this film does not end with victory, it definitely does not end in defeat - as we witness a generation, who are empowered by each other and we see an Africa not clouded by a worldview of poverty and strife, but of unity and courage.
Night Stage (BFI Flare: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL)
Walking into the BFI Southbank home of BFI Flare, the BFI’s LGBTQIA+ film festival for my screening I suddenly felt like I was underdressed and totally uncool. This festival has become a staple of the London film calendar and has become an amazing celebration of queer cinema from across the globe, with big names and exciting new voices in equal measure…
Dreams In Nightmares (BFI Flare: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL)
Following three friends as they road trip across the country to look for their friend they cannot get in contact with, Dreams in Nightmares is an understated and contemplative exploration of the realities of Black queer life in America…
Ancestral Visions of the Future (BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)
A stark and explicit portrayal of life in a post-colonial Lesotho village, this film is a deeply personal meditation on memory, trauma, and heritage…
BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions (BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)
BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions (2025) is a feature length continuation of the exhibition/art installation of the same name, which was self described as “a conceptual news program that blurs the lines between art, reporting, entrepreneurship, and cultural critique.”.…
Minimals in a Titanic World (BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)
Minimals in a Titanic World (2025) follows Anita, a young grief stricken woman. She’s trying to get through her day to day. All while doing her best to make sure her emotions are in check so she doesn’t end up back in prison…
Dreamers (BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL) (Berlinale)
A beautifully tragic love story between two women in a detention centre, highlighting the struggles of immigrants, especially those ostracised for their sexuality…
Khartoum (BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL)
A refreshing documentary, Khartoum (2025) uses its 80-minute running time to highlight hope over horror and centre the experiences of five individuals…
The Fire Inside (PictureEast FILM FESTIVAL 2025)
The Fire Inside captures the resilience of Flint, Michigan, through Clarissa ‘T-Rex’ Shields’ journey to London 2012 Olympic boxing glory…
The Lost Cinemas (PictureEast FILM FESTIVAL 2025)
East London has always been a place of stories — not just the ones we tell, but the ones we share and experience together…
The Wild Robot (PictureEast FILM FESTIVAL 2025)
Lupita Nyong’o terrifically anchors The Wild Robot in which she plays an empathetic robot tasked with raising an orphaned duckling while also navigating her new life…
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (PictureEast FILM FESTIVAL 2025)
One can be forgiven for taking Rungano Nyoni’s dramady as simply a tale of a family covering the crimes of the protagonists’ (Susan Chardy) uncle. However there is so much more in the tale than this…
Hard Truths (PictureEast FILM FESTIVAL 2025)
Amidst the strings of composer Gary Yershon’s gentle melody lies Hard Truths, Mike Leigh’s first film since Peterloo (2018)…