Burning an Illusion
Menelik Shabazz, GB 1981Screenplay: Menelik Shabazz; Cinematography: Roy Cornwall; Editing: Judy Seymour; Music: Seyoum Nefta; Cast: Cassie McFarlane, Victor Romero Evans, Beverley Martin, Angela Wynter, Malcolm Fredericks, Corinne Skinner-Carter. DCP (from 16mm), color, 106 min. English
The feature debut of Barbados-born filmmaker, producer, educator and writer Menelik Shabazz, Burning an Illusion is the second British feature film to have been made by a Black director, following Horace Ové's Pressure in 1975. Although Shabazz spent time on Ové's set and took inspiration from his film, he drew a striking contrast in Burning an Illusion by placing a Black female protagonist at the heart of the film's narrative, a bold move that was unprecedented for British films at the time and remains rare even today. The film's title is inspired by the Jamaican Roots Reggae group Culture's song titled, "Burning an illusion inna Babylon."
The film follows Pat Williams (played by the award-winning Cassie McFarlane), a 22 year old girl with a caring family, decent job and having her own rental flat – who holds conventional aspirations of settling down with a well-suited partner. Pat's dreams are crushed and her life is radically changed when she meets the beguiling and moody Del Bennett (Victor Romero), whose redundancy and incarceration force her into a deeper self-reflection, setting her off on a journey of emancipation and Black Power activism.
Despite being shot on pittance with a modest cast, the film's authentic look and feel flow seamlessly through its scrupulously detailed mise-en-scène including the many real locations and social spaces in West London, which are truly reflective of the arc of Pat's character as she undergoes spiritual transformation. The use of reggae at various intervals not only charges the film with the spirited vibe of Black London but also creates a rhythmic coherence between the themes of love, racial consciousness, and awakening in the story.
Burning an Illusion won the Grand Prix at the Amiens Film Festival in France and Cassie McFarlane won the Evening Standard Award for 'Most Promising New Actress.' Nearly five decades since its release, Shabazz's 1981 classic continues to grow in its wider international reputation and remains a rare and emancipating milestone of Black British cinema. (A.S.)
Video message from main actress Cassie McFarlane (at both screenings)
Courtesy British Film Institute
