Burning an Illusion

Burning an Illusion is a British film, written and directed by Menelik Shabazz, about a young British-born black woman's love life, mostly shot in London's Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove communities. It was only the second British feature to have been made by a black director, following Horace Ové’s 1975 Pressure, and is described by Stephen Bourne as "the first British film to give a black woman a voice of any kind." Imruh Bakari worked with Shabazz and co-founded Kumba productions with him.

Burning an Illusion is notable for breaking the tradition of placing white males at the centre of the story. It is also unique in prioritizing the personal drama of black woman over the socio-economic and political conflicts traditionally associated with such films. As Ade Solanke writes: "Like all drama, the film is about characters facing conflicts. But unlike most dramas about black people up till then, for most of the story it dramatises personal conflicts, not socio-economic or political ones."

It is available at the British Film Institute.

Main cast members

• Cassie McFarlane (Pat Williams);
• Victor Romero Evans (Del Bennett);
• Beverley Martin (Sonia);
• Angela Wynter (Cynthia);
• Malcolm Fredericks (Chamberlain)
• Corinne Skinner Carter (Pat's mother)

Awards

The film won the Grand Prix at the Amiens International Film Festival in France, and Cassie McFarlane won the Evening Standard Award for "Most Promising New Actress".

Burning an Illusion and its pioneering director Menelik Shabazz were honoured with a Screen Nation Classic Film Award in October 2011.

Further reading

• "Black Pioneers - The early history of Black filmmaking in the UK", BFI ScreenOnline.