Babylon (18)

Dir Franco Rosso/GB 1980/95 mins Brinsley Forde, Karl Howman, Archie Pool

Blue, a young Rastafarian musician, has his sights set on winning a Sound System competition, but his creative and personal ambitions are thwarted at every turn as a Black man living in 1980s Britain.

Set against the backdrop of the newly-installed Thatcher government, the end of punk and the rise of mod and ska, and featuring a raucous reggae soundtrack, Babylon is a potent mix of music and social realism.

Key figures from the British reggae scene of the time appear in front of and behind the camera. Brinsley Forde, a founder member of Aswad, stars as Blue; the film’s iconic soundtrack comes from Dennis Bovell.

The film’s cinematic pedigree is equally impressive. Screenwriter Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia) and director Franco Rosso (Dread, Beat and Blood) present an uncompromising look at urban survival on the streets of South London, expertly shot by cinematographer Chris Menges (The Killing Fields).