Burning An Illusion (DVD)

The story of a black woman's awakening. Pat Williams (Cassie McFarlane) is a girl with a steady job and a London flat, who looks forward to settling down to a comfortable married life. Her dream is shattered when her boyfriend, Del (Victor Romero) spirals out of control as he loses his job and is arrested after a fight. The film explores the growing tensions in Pat and Del's relationship and then Pat's gradual realisation that her aspirations are simply those that a white world has imposed on her. She becomes drawn into the world of 'Africa' and the realisation of her own cultural background. A pioneering first feature from Menelik Shabazz, much of it was shot around the Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove communities, Burning An Illusion was the first British film to give a central voice to black women, charting her journey to emotional maturity, emancipation and political awakening.

Interview with the director, Menelik Shabazz
Commentary by Menelik Shabazz and members of the cast
Blood Ah Go Run (Dir. Menelik Shabazz, 1981) - short film