- published: 25 Jun 2007
- views: 113343
Babylon is a 1980 film that depicts the struggles of a Black British working class musician. It stars Brinsley Forde of the reggae band, Aswad . It was co-written by Martin Stellman (writer of Quadrophenia) and Franco Rosso who also directed it. It also starred Karl Howman and Trevor Laird. Music was scored by Dennis Bovell.
Brinsley Forde plays a Deptford garage-hand by day and a disco-dispenser by night. The film follows him as he loses his job as a car mechanic (Mel Smith in a cameo as his racist boss), gets beaten up by racist police and falsely charged, forced to go on the run, falling out with his girlfriend and finally stabbing a racist neighbour in anger and frustration. The film finishes with a posse of policemen smashing down the doors of a music hall.
Babylon was filmed on the streets of Lewisham and Brixton, London.
The film revolves around racism from police and thugs, violence against blacks, poverty and disillusion and lack of opportunities.
Songs are by Aswad, Johnny Clarke, and Jeff Wayne (who wrote the musical version of War Of The Worlds), among others.
Actors: Justin Strydom (actor), Melissa Parry (editor), Presley Chweneyagae (actor), Lindani Nkosi (actor), Khulu Skenjana (actor), Renate Stuurman (actress), Fumani Shilubana (actor), Vickus Strijdom (director), John Herbert (actor), Lukas van der Merwe (actor), Sam Phillips (actor), Masoja Msiza (actor), Paul Buys (producer), Lukas van der Merwe (producer), Bertus van der Walt (producer),
Plot: In South Africa's gold mining region is the subterranean dimension of the Zama Zama, illegal miners that make a living by mining the ore in both operational and abandoned mine shafts. Zama Zama is the personal narrative of two brothers - Malcolm, a successful businessman in the mining industry and his long lost brother Joseph, one of those who work in the underground tunnels - playing off against the tension of the mines' punitive actions against these miners. The plot revolves around moral choices: social standing and success versus loyalty to and love of family.
Genres: Action,