EXCLUSIVE: The BBC is commemorating five years since the death of George Floyd with a feature doc that will be given a theatrical release.
BACKLASH: The Murder of George Floyd [working title] will feature interviews with members of Floyd’s family, Chief Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis Police Chief who took the bold step of testifying against one of his own officers, and then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s closest advisor on race Samuel Kasumu.
The doc comes five years after Floyd was murdered by a white police officer, which was the catalyst for the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020.
At a time when diversity initiatives in the U.S. are being scrapped by President Trump’s decree, and Elon Musk is retweeting Ben Shapiro’s call for the police officer who murdered Floyd to be pardoned, the film explores how Floyd’s death became one of the most significant moments in modern history, a true reckoning.
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The doc will be given a limited theatrical run in the UK before launching on the BBC in late May. It is one of several BBC features to go theatrical including, most recently, From Roger Moore, With Love.
Director Kwabena Oppong said: “The shockwaves of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 became a catalyst for change worldwide—or so it seemed. Over the past five years, we’ve seen progress and growth, but also a growing backlash. Behind everything we consume on TV, in the news, and on social media, there’s a deeper story.”
BACKLASH comes from prolific UK doc maker Rogan Productions and Dartmouth Films. It is directed by Oppong and was commissioned by Clare Sillery. Executive producers are James Rogan, Teresa Watkins and Soleta Rogan. The BBC commissioning editors are Carl Callam and Emma Loach. The producer is Satema Tarawally. Editors are Gregg Morgan, Alasdair Bayne and Brett Irwin, and music is by Swindle.
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