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Burning an Illusion
Burning an Illusion
8.3
/10
158 Ratings

BURNING AN ILLUSION

Directed by Menelik Shabazz
United Kingdom, 1981
Drama

Synopsis

A young black woman in England becomes increasingly frustrated with her life with a lazy, demanding boyfriend. With the help of friends, she seeks something better, and begins to question her attitude to love, life, and desire for middle-class respectability and security through marriage.

Synopsis

A young black woman in England becomes increasingly frustrated with her life with a lazy, demanding boyfriend. With the help of friends, she seeks something better, and begins to question her attitude to love, life, and desire for middle-class respectability and security through marriage.

Our take

The groundbreaking debut from Menelik Shabazz, Burning an Illusion was the first British film to feature a Black female lead. Filmed around Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill during the Thatcher years, this fiery love story is a powerful, aspirational tale of political and emotional emancipation.