GENERATION REVOLUTION
80 min.
United Kingdom | 2016
Directed by Cassie Quarless & Usayd Younis

Q&A with the directors, “Whose Streets?” co-director Saabah Folayan and special guests from activist community; moderated by Anthonine Pierre of the Brooklyn Movement Center

With the escalation of police violence against Black and Brown people now pervading those same cell phone screens on a regular basis, in particular the killings of Mike Brown and Eric Garner, at the hands of United States police, brand new groups of international activists, tired of generational mistreatment, stand ready to take action.

Directors Cassie Quarless and Usayd Younis, possessing affinities with the subjects in their film, decided to show the exciting work young black and brown activists are doing in London, giving birth to their new feature-length documentary, “Generation Revolution.”

The film follows the political and personal awakenings, breakthroughs and unfortunate disillusionment of a number of key activists. Among them are Tay, an 18 year old South Londoner, whose strong convictions and quick wit make him a magnet for friends and activists alike; and Arnie, 22, a firebrand whose fervor for the movement has allowed him to undertake some truly inspirational actions, but has also put him at odds with friends and allies. Then there is Tej, 25, a middle-class North Londoner whose conscience has thrown her from the sidelines into the deep end of political activism. We follow her as she struggles to reconcile her skepticism toward more controversial actions, with her belief in the need for radical change.

Through the raucous and dramatic London Black Revolutionaries (Black Revs), the even younger social media formed R Movement, and The Black Dissidents, who formed out of irreconcilable differences with the Black Revs, we see the evolution of “Generation Revolution,” which portrays the messy and totally uncensored explorations of race, class, and gender, following these young activists on their difficult paths toward creating social change.

To some, “Generation Revolution,” may be very controversial, which is just fine with the directors.  “We want this film to spark debate,” say Quarless and Younis, “but also to inspire young people to take an interest in how they can go about changing their communities and the wider world.”  They continue, “…we were inspired to follow these young black and brown activists because we felt that their novel approach in tackling large systemic issues such as white supremacy, capitalism or patriarchy was fresh and exciting. We don’t sugarcoat the experiences…”

Romola Lucas, co-founder of the Caribbean Film Academy (CaFA), which presents the Caribbean Film Series, shares, “It is important for us to bring this film, which highlights the generational struggles in parts of the worldwide black activist community, with New York City audiences, because of the large number of Caribbean people who reside here and as a way of sharing and exploring with them, the work of Caribbean activists, both in the Region, and Diaspora, which often goes unseen.

The feature presentation, will be preceded by a screening of the short film, My Vote, directed by Jamaican filmmaker, Joel Burke, and produced by the New Caribbean Cinema, film collective.  The film, which is a take on the violence characteristic of Jamaican politics, tells the story of what happens to Akeem, when he is found by a mob, at the scene of a local politician’s murder.

Co-presented by BAMcinématek and The Luminal Theater’s Brooklyn Cinema Collective, “Generation Revolution,” will screen at BAM Rose Cinemas on Wednesday, February 22 at 7:30pm.

For more information go to https://www.bam.org/film/2017/generation-revolution.