Small Axe is a British anthology film series, created and directed by Steve McQueen. The anthology consists of five films that tell distinct stories about the lives of West Indian immigrants in London from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The series premiered on 15 November 2020 on BBC One in the United Kingdom and on 20 November 2020 on Amazon Prime Video in the United States.
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The series as a whole
- Made-for-TV Movie: Although Lovers Rock, Mangrove and Red, White and Blue debuted at film festivals, the series of films was originally created for The BBC, to be shown on British television.
- Period Piece: The films are set between the 1960s and 1980s, portraying different aspects of the Black British experience during those decades.
Mangrove
The true story of the Mangrove Nine, who clashed with London police in 1970. The trial that followed was the first judicial acknowledgement of behaviour motivated by racial hatred within the Metropolitan Police.
- Police Brutality: The neighbourhood rallies in support of the Mangrove and a march is organised to protest police conduct. The police surround the protesters and provoke violence.
Lovers Rock
A single evening at a house party in 1980s West London sets the scene, developing intertwined relationships against a background of violence, romance and music.
Red, White, and Blue
The true story of Leroy Logan, who at a young age saw his father assaulted by two policemen, motivating him to join the Metropolitan Police and change their racist attitudes from within.
Alex Wheatle
The story of Alex Wheatle, a Black British novelist who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the 1981 Brixton uprising.
- Autobiography: Averted, in an unusual case. Alex Wheatle was on the Small Axe writing staff. However, he opted out of writing the story of his own life.
Education
The coming of age story of 12-year-old Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy), who has a fascination for astronauts and rockets. When Kingsley is pulled to the headmaster's office for being disruptive in class, he discovers he's being sent to a school for those with "special needs." Distracted by working two jobs, his parents are unaware of the unofficial segregation policy at play, preventing many Black children from receiving the education they deserve, until a group of West Indian women take matters into their own hands.
