Babylon

Pride and contradiction in 1980s London

Franco Rosso's Babylon is a searing portrait of Black British life in the early 1980s, imbued with the energy and outrage of a community demanding to be heard. Following DJ Blue—as he navigates police harassment, precarious work, and rising racial tensions—the film captures the rhythms of resistance with documentary immediacy and dramatic force. The smoky club interiors, propulsive reggae soundtrack, and raw street scenes create a cinema of pride and contradiction, where music becomes both refuge and rebellion. Long suppressed and often overlooked, Babylon remains a vital and uncompromising testament to cultural survival.