Song of Freedom - The Early History of Black Representation in British Cinema 

Horace Ové’s ground-breaking film Pressure is seen as the key starting point for Black British cinema, yet in many ways it was the culmination of years of development and activism. This illustrated lecture by museum curator and film tutor Matthew Jarron explores the history of Black representation in British cinema in the 50 years leading up to the release of Pressure.    

Illustrated talk by film historian Matthew Jarron for Lifelong Learning Dundee. 

It wasn’t until 1976 that cinemagoers could see a British feature film made by a Black director. Horace Ové’s ground-breaking film Pressure is seen as the key starting point for Black British cinema, yet in many ways it was the culmination of years of development and activism. This illustrated lecture by museum curator and film tutor Matthew Jarron explores the history of Black representation in British cinema in the 50 years leading up to the release of Pressure. 

Matthew Jarron is Curator of the University of Dundee Museums and has taught evening classes in film history for the past 20 years. His recent courses for Lifelong Learning Dundee include Films of East Germany, Re-presenting Silent Cinema and British Cinema of the 1950's.