Kuumba Black Arts

Returning to England from Trinidad and Tobago for one night only, a former trickster finds that old friends and communities have moved on.

Guyanese painter Aubrey Williams (1926-1990) returns to his homeland on a “journey to the source of his inspiration” in this vivid Arts Council documentary, filmed towards the end of his life. The title comes from the indigenous Arawak word ‘timehri’ - the mark of the hand of man - which Williams equates to art itself. Timehri was also then the name of the international airport at Georgetown, Guyana's capital, where Williams stops off to restore an earlier mural. The film offers a rare insight into life beyond Georgetown, what Williams calls “the real Guyana.” Before moving to England in 1952 he had been sent to work on a sugar plantation in the jungle; this is his first chance to revisit the region and the Warao Indians - formative influences on his work - in four decades. Challenging the ill-treatment of indigenous Guyanese, Williams explored the potential of art to change attitudes. By venturing beyond his British studio, this film puts his work into vibrant context.

Short 'newsfilm' looking back at the events of 1981, beginning with the killing of 13 young blacks in New Cross, London. The film goes on to show the anger this aroused among black people, and their march in demonstration - `The Black People's Day of Action'. Also covers the Brixton riots.

Rare archive footage of British born young people in the mid 70s, discussing issues of school, police, parents and what it is like to be black in a white world.